Noem deploys hundreds more federal agents to city

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Sunday that the federal government will increase law enforcement to Minneapolis after an American was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday.

“We’re sending more officers today and tomorrow. They’re going to arrive, hundreds more will arrive, to make sure that the ICE and Border Patrol agents that are working in Minneapolis can operate safely,” Noem said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”

The latest spike came after American citizen Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer on Wednesday. Ms. Noem offered no evidence and said Ms. Good was involved in an act of domestic terrorism when she was shot.

“If you look at the definition of domestic terrorism, it’s completely consistent with the situation on the ground,” Noem said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “This officer was hit by his own car, she used it as a weapon, and he protected his life, his colleagues and the public around him.”

Good, 37, was shot Wednesday by an ICE agent in front of her vehicle after agents tried to remove her from the vehicle as she moved her SUV forward. The ICE officer has been identified as Jonathan Ross, two sources familiar with the investigation told MS Now.

Video of the incident was released Wednesday, sparking protests and widening national scrutiny of the Trump administration’s tactics in carrying out its plan to mass deport.

The administration and Noem have defended Ms. Ross, claiming Ms. Good tried to run her over with her car, and promised to bring additional police to Minneapolis. The administration had already transferred more federal workers to the region following reports of widespread fraud in social services.

Pressed by CNN host Jake Tapper about why she was comfortable labeling Goode a domestic terrorist before the investigation into the shooting began, Noem said without evidence, “Everything I said was true and proven to be true.”

Democrats have threatened to impeach Noem over the killing, noting that an investigation into the incident is ongoing. On Thursday, state officials with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Enforcement alleged that the FBI is obstructing state-level investigations.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for an impartial investigation into the incident in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“Let’s leave the investigation to an open-minded person,” he said. “Let’s not just let the federal government, the FBI or the Justice Department, do it.”

“I think we all need to speak up when the federal government is so quick to jump to a narrative instead of the truth,” Frey added.

Frey was also furious with Noem’s characterization of Good’s actions.

“They were trying to leave the scene. They were not the ones trying to corner the ICE officers,” Frey said.

On CNN, Noem accused Frey and other Democrats, including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, of being responsible for the killings, arguing that their rhetoric motivated people to try to thwart ICE. Immediately after the shooting, Frey called on ICE to “get these guys out of Minneapolis.”

“They are inciting the public by hyper-politicizing and inappropriately talking about the situation on the ground in our city,” Noem said on CNN on Sunday. “They encouraged the kind of destruction and violence we’ve seen in Minneapolis over the last few days.”

Asked to respond to Nomu on NBC, Frey said, “I’m sorry for hurting their delicate ears.”

“I dropped an F-bomb, and they killed someone. I think ‘kill someone’ is the incendiary element here, not an F-bomb,” Frey said.

On NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, White House border czar Tom Homan insisted everyone “should move forward with the investigation.”

“I don’t know what the chief has and I don’t have,” Homan said, but said he believed Good’s actions were illegal.

This story is developing. Please refresh to check for updates.