Luke Granger, the brother of Renee Nicole Good, has strongly criticized the ongoing ICE crackdown in Minneapolis following the tragic death of his sister.
Renee Nicole Good, aged 37, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross last month after she had dropped off her young child at school.
The Trump administration labeled Good as a ‘domestic terrorist,’ asserting that the ICE agent acted in self-defense in the fatal encounter.
However, video evidence has cast doubt on the administration’s stance, and Good’s family is determined to seek justice for her loss.
Granger spoke at a Capitol Hill hearing on the use of force by federal agents on Tuesday, February 3, where he addressed the impact of his sister’s death on the family and the implications of the ongoing actions by immigration officers.
“In the past weeks, our family took some consolation thinking that perhaps her death would bring about change in our country, and it has not,” Granger told lawmakers.
“The completely surreal scenes taking place on the streets of Minneapolis are beyond explanation.”
Following Good’s death, 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was also fatally shot by a federal officer in Minneapolis during protests against ICE’s continued presence in the city.
Granger continued, “This is not just a bad day or a rough week or isolated incidents; these encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives, including ours, forever.
“I still don’t know how to explain to my four-year-old what these agents are doing when we pass by.”
Brent Ganger, another of Good’s siblings, also spoke at the hearing and reflected on his sister nearly a month after her passing.
“Renee had a way of showing up in the world that made you believe things were going to be okay, not because she ignored the hardship, but because she chose optimism anyway,” he said.
“She chose to look for what was good, what was possible and what was worth loving. Nene loved fiercely, openly and without hesitation.”
Brent emphasized that Renee ‘believed tomorrow could be better than today.’ Discussing her positive outlook on life, he continued: “She believed that kindness mattered, and she lived that belief even when things were hard.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of the organizers of the special public forum, added: “I hope to our colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I hope all of our colleagues will join in seeking the action that you just described that is so important, not just as a tribute to your sister, but as a way to prevent the kind of lawless brutality that caused her death, literally murder.”
While questions surrounding Good’s death persist, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche previously stated that the FBI was ‘not investigating’ the shooting.
“The Department of Justice doesn’t just stand up and investigate because some congressman thinks we should, because some governor thinks that we should,” Blanche said.