Can Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot a Minneapolis woman, be prosecuted? – Firstpost

Jonathan Ross, a veteran US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, shot and killed a 37-year-old woman and a mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, on Wednesday (January 7) amid Trump’s immigration crackdown. The fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by an ICE officer, followed by another shooting in Oregon, has put the agency under the lens. Shootings in Minneapolis and Portland also resulted in massive widespread protests across the nation.

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The Trump administration has strongly defended Ross, the law enforcement veteran, on the grounds of "self-defence," a claim local officials have rejected. The expansion of the agency’s powers amid Donald Trump’s deportation drive raises questions over the growing ICE’s authority and whether the officer, who fatally shot a Minneapolis woman in her car, can be prosecuted.

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According to the United States Vice President JD Vance, the veteran ICE officer responsible for shooting Good is “protected by absolute immunity."

Speaking at the White House, Vance added, “The precedent here is very simple. You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action – that’s a federal issue. That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job.” Vance’s remarks triggered an immediate backlash from experts, who believe that the vice president was “overstating the law around immunity for federal officials.”

Here is a look at the potential legal repercussions.

What happened?

The officer fired “defensive shots” after a “violent rioter” attempted to run over officers, a spokeswoman of the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement, adding that the officer had feared for his life.

Online videos of the shooting verified by Reuters cast doubt on the government’s narrative, however. The fresh 47-second-video has reportedly been taken by the ICE agent who fired the shots. In that video, Good can be heard saying, “That’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you.” An ICE agent walks around her vehicle, filming it in the road.

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BREAKING: Alpha News has obtained cellphone footage showing perspective of federal agent at center of ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/p2wks0zew0

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At the same time, Good’s wife, standing outside the car, also records the video, pointing at the ICE officers. Other officers attempt to approach the driver’s side of the car, saying, “Get out of the car….” The driver moves forward while turning away from the officers, and the one in front pulls his weapon, steps back and fires three shots. Suddenly, the camera points upward, then returns to street view as Good’s SUV careens away.

It was not clear if the car made contact with the officer, and he fired at least one shot after it had already passed him.

What does the law say?

Minnesota’s use-of-force law permits state police to use deadly force only if reasonable officers would believe doing so was necessary to protect themselves or others from death or serious harm.

Federal law has a similar standard, permitting use of deadly force when a reasonable officer would have probable cause to believe a person posed an immediate threat of death or serious injury.

Last year in October, Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told ICE agents that they are legally protected from prosecution, and local officials cannot arrest them, as reported by AlJazeera

“To all ICE officers, you have federal immunity in the conduct of your duties,” Miller reported. “And anybody who lays a hand on you or tries to stop you or tries to obstruct you is committing a felony," the report quoted as Miller saying.

Could a veteran ICE agent be prosecuted?

Federal agents are generally immune from state prosecution for actions taken as part of their official duties. Immunity only applies when an officer’s actions were authorised under federal law and were necessary and proper.

If Minnesota charged the agent, the agent could seek to transfer the case to federal court and argue that he is immune from prosecution.

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To prevail, the state would have to show the actions were outside his official duties or were objectively unreasonable or clearly unlawful.

If a judge ruled the officer was immune, the case would be dismissed, and the state would not be able to charge him again.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) noted Wednesday (January 7), “If anyone broke the law, he would do everything in his power to ensure they’re held accountable,” reported The Hill. 

Rachel VanLandingham, a national security law professor at Southwestern Law School, asserted that this issue can be more complicated in court. “It seems like she backed up and was trying to go around him, right? That she wasn’t trying to hit him. … But those standards still have to be — they have to reasonably believe that she poses an imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death," said VanLandingham, as reported by The Hill. 

Could federal prosecutors charge the officer?

Federal prosecutors can charge law enforcement officers for fatal shootings, but the bar is very high, and charges are rare.

Prosecutors would need to show the officer knew his conduct was unlawful or acted with reckless disregard for the constitutional limits of his authority, which is difficult to prove in court. The Trump administration has so far defended the officer’s actions.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADFirst responders perform CPR on a woman while she is transferred to an ambulance after she was shot in a vehicle by a U.S. immigration officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 7, 2026, in a still image from video. Reuters

What defences could the ICE agent have?

In addition to federal immunity, the agent could argue that his actions were reasonable under the Constitution, that he acted in self-defense or that he did not act with intent to harm or kill the woman.

Could driver’s family sue for civil damages?

Federal officers are immune from civil lawsuits unless their conduct clearly violates a clear constitutional right.

This legal standard, known as qualified immunity, has become a highly effective tool for shielding police officers accused of using excessive force, a series of Reuters
investigative stories found in 2020.

With inputs from agencies

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