3 Federal Prosecutors Quit After DOJ Push to Investigate ICE Shooting Victim’s Widow
Three Minnesota federal prosecutors resigned this week after the U.S. Department of Justice pressed for an investigation into the widow of a woman killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, while declining to open a criminal inquiry into the agent who pulled the trigger, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision.
According to The New York Times, among those who stepped down was Joseph H. Thompson, a career federal prosecutor who previously served as acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota and oversaw major fraud prosecutions that reshaped the state’s political landscape. Thompson was second in command at the U.S. attorney’s office when senior DOJ officials pushed for a probe into the actions of Good’s widow, sources said.
Good, a Minneapolis mother of three, was shot and killed last week by Jonathan Ross, an ICE agent. Video footage circulating publicly appears to show Good attempting to steer her vehicle away from the agent before she was shot three times in the face.
DOJ Declines to Investigate Shooter, Focus Shifts to Victim
The resignations followed mounting frustration inside the Justice Department after leadership declined to pursue a customary civil rights investigation into the use of deadly force by a federal law enforcement officer. That decision was attributed to Harmeet Dhillon, the Trump-aligned assistant attorney general overseeing the Civil Rights Division.
According to multiple reports, Dhillon informed staff days before the shooting that the division would not be involved in investigating the case. Career prosecutors within the division reportedly volunteered to lead an inquiry into the ICE agent’s actions but were told to stand down.
A Justice Department spokesperson confirmed the resignations but denied they were connected to the Minneapolis shooting, stating that the prosecutors had sought early retirement “well before the events in Minnesota.” Prosecutors familiar with the situation dispute that characterization.
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has assumed control of the case, sidelining local officials and focusing part of its inquiry on Good’s “possible connections to activist groups,” according to reporting by The New York Times. No evidence supporting those allegations has been made public.
The investigative posture mirrors White House messaging that has repeatedly sought to portray Good as a threat rather than a victim. Trump administration officials, including Kristi Noem and Vice President JD Vance, have labeled Good a “domestic terrorist” or “paid agitator,” despite video and eyewitness accounts contradicting those claims.
Officials Contradict White House Narrative
Minneapolis leaders have publicly pushed back against the administration’s assertions. Mayor Jacob Frey criticized federal officials for rushing to judgment before any independent investigation had concluded.
“They’re calling the victim a domestic terrorist,” Frey said at a recent press conference. “They’re framing the agent’s actions as defensive. Much of the investigation appears to have been decided in advance.”
Family members say Good had just dropped her six-year-old son off at school and was waving ICE vehicles past her car when the shooting occurred.
Civil Rights Division Faces Historic Exodus
The resignations underscore a broader unraveling inside DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. Since Trump began his second term, more than 250 attorneys, roughly 70% of the division, have resigned, been reassigned, or accepted deferred departure offers. Former division leaders warn the unit has been fundamentally reshaped away from enforcing civil rights protections toward advancing partisan priorities.
Kristen Clarke, who led the division under President Biden, called investigations into law enforcement use of force “one of the division’s most solemn duties,” warning that sidelining such cases erodes public trust and accountability.
As federal prosecutors continue to walk away, the handling of Renee Good’s killing has become a flashpoint, raising questions not only about ICE accountability, but about the future of civil rights enforcement inside the Justice Department itself.
