On Wednesday, Jan. 7, an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called Good’s actions against ICE agents “an act of domestic terrorism.” The Guardian reported in December that through President Trump’s presidential directive NSPM-7, the FBI has also launched domestic terrorism investigations into “threats against immigration enforcement activity.”
But ICE dissenters and protesters aren’t domestic terrorists. The actions of ICE, however, are far more closely aligned with the actions of domestic terrorists.
Domestic terrorism
The FBI defines domestic terrorism as “involving acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State” and “activities appearing to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; influence the policy of government by intimidation and coercion; affect the conduct of the government by mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.”
ICE actions fit this definition.
Acts dangerous to human life
Noem claimed Good was attempting to use her vehicle as a weapon against ICE agents. Trump also wrote that Good “violently, willfully and viciously ran over the ICE officer.”
Videos of the incident filmed by neighbors and community members who witnessed the fatal shooting contradict Noem’s and Trump’s claims.
In the videos, an ICE agent grabs the handle of Good’s front driver’s side door and attempts to remove her from the vehicle. When she attempts to drive away, another agent shoots her three times through the car window. Never in any of the footage does Good run over an ICE agent.
ICE also prevented an on-scene witness and physician from administering the immediate medical care that Good needed.
Even if the officers believed they were in danger of violence from Good, shooting her three times through the window of her car was an unnecessary and fatal show of force.
Good was a legal observer attempting to protect her community members. Her fatal shooting at the hands of ICE was an unnecessary loss of life that U.S. politicians are attempting to spin into a story of self-defense on the part of the agent.
Intimidation and coercion
On Jan. 4, witnesses reported that ICE agents and Memphis police swarmed Da Sammich Spot in Memphis, TN.
The owner of the restaurant claims that this backlash came after he had placed a “No ICE Welcome” sign in his window. It is not illegal for a business to deny ICE agents access to private areas without a warrant. The owner said the show of force left him “scared for his life.”
Ring camera footage also shows teacher Miles Serafini being questioned by alleged ICE agents for his peaceful protest against ICE deportations on June 11, 2025. NSPM-7 gives the federal law enforcement permission to intimidate ICE dissenters into accepting their policies and abandoning protest.
This conduct, ironically, fits squarely in the FBI’s definition of domestic terrorism. Moreover, this is a blatant threat to the First and Fourth Amendments.
Kidnapping
The final element of the FBI definition of domestic terrorism — kidnapping — is also present in ICE’s actions.
U.S. citizens have been arrested, detained and attacked by ICE agents. Angel Pina was detained and arrested after reporting ICE to the police for allegedly shoving a teenage boy. In another incident, ICE knocked over and tackled a 79-year-old man and allegedly did not provide medical attention for the broken ribs they caused him.
In addition, as of late August 2025, hundreds of detainees have gone missing from the South Florida Detention Center, otherwise known as Alligator Alcatraz.
When armed federal agents arrest and detain U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike without warrants, probable cause or due process, it is an unlawful seizure tantamount to kidnapping.
Lives lost
Not only are the actions of ICE reflective of domestic terrorism, but they are also inherently wrong. Thirty-two people died in ICE custody in 2025. According to the Trac Reports database, 73.6% of current ICE detainees have no criminal convictions.
For Black and brown communities and immigrants, this violence from law enforcement is not new. The systems that killed Good are responsible for decades of violence against marginalized people in the U.S.
If ICE agents are willing to shoot a white woman in broad daylight, what violence are detainees experiencing behind closed doors? Good’s death is not the first fatal shooting by ICE officers. It likely will not be the last. As the Trump administration continues to threaten protesters through NSPM-7 and attack birthright citizenship, ICE’s reign of violence and terror will continue.
In a photo from the scene, next to a bloody airbag, stuffed animals hang out of Renee Nicole Good’s dashboard. She leaves behind three children.
She stood up for her community and paid for it with her life. When the government has the power to label protest and dissent as terrorism, protest becomes even more of a necessity.
Protesters and immigrants are not terrorists. The true terrorists are powerful people using violence to uphold their unchecked power.
RW Allen L.P.N Ret. | Mar 3, 2026 at 4:54 pm
My step grand mother was Cree, born in 1904 on a red in Montana and one of the 1st 1000 members of the American Indian Movement she told me 2 things I will always remember, even though I’m now an old man, great grandfather, and a retired nurse, ” “ignoring injustice is complicity” and “love everyone, but suffer no fools”
RW Allen retired mental health care nurse, spiritual advisor, human rights activist, musician, healer, great grandfather
Jenny C | Jan 14, 2026 at 11:43 am
As a University of Utah alumna, I was deeply saddened by the tragic death of Renée Good in Minneapolis. The loss of any life in a law enforcement encounter is devastating, and we should all pray for healing and justice.
However, this op-ed stretches beyond critique into fear-mongering that misrepresents the facts and contributes to an atmosphere of anger and mistrust that does real harm. It is important to be precise and honest in our public discourse.
First, contrary to the implication that current immigration enforcement is some unprecedented assault, recent administrations have deported MUCH larger numbers of unauthorized immigrants as part of lawful deportation policy, and there was little similar public outrage in those times. Data consistently shows that the prior administration deported or returned hundreds of thousands of migrants—in some years at levels as high as under prior presidents—and deportation (removal) numbers under recent administrations have been among the highest in a decade.
Second, the need for robust enforcement—including seeing a surge in deportation actions in response to historically high numbers of unauthorized crossings—is in large part a reaction to the failure of prior “open border” policies to manage and vet illegal immigration. Rapid increases in irregular crossings and the strain they place on local communities are factors that policymakers must address, and that context is missing from this piece.
To be clear, ICE and the administration are operating within U.S. law, and enforcement actions are targeted at unlawful presence and at individuals with criminal records and outstanding deportation orders. It is irresponsible to label standard law-enforcement operations as terrorism when lawful deportation efforts—while difficult and imperfect—are a core part of sovereign nations’ responsibilities. Mischaracterizing these efforts only fuels division and danger rather than encouraging thoughtful solutions.
Let’s mourn the loss of life with dignity, but also engage in honest, nuanced discourse that acknowledges the complexity of immigration policy without resorting to alarmism.
GOPrNazis | Jan 15, 2026 at 6:38 pm
reminder. the nazis were following the law.
…and, the ice terrorists own rule book says not to stand in front of vehicles and to NOT shoot at fleeing individuals.
Might want to fix yourself.
ICE are terrorists. GOP are pedophiles. and Republicans are Nazis.
Using those facts … all of their current disgusting behavior will make sense.
h.r.i. | Jan 13, 2026 at 10:48 pm
Thank you for your thoughts and the plethora of sources shared, Morgan. I’m glad to see the Chronicle approach this topic, just as strongly as I am upset by the actions taking place across our country every day. Awareness and objectivity are incredible tools, so I thank you for contributing to this conversation with each of those.
BR | Jan 13, 2026 at 8:51 pm
There is no reason to read any Chronicle opinion piece. They have not varied what side of any issue they take on any subject in the 40+ years I have been aware of this publication. Very predictable. Maybe try to surprise me once in a while with a non democrat leftist opinion. Maybe try some diversity in your opinions.
GOPrNazis | Jan 15, 2026 at 6:40 pm
Thank you for such a strong recommendation of the Chronicle. It is so refreshing to hear that I’ve found a piece of media that can’t be bought be nazi republicans or pedophile billionaires.
Thank you again for the recommendation and strong support of a news outlet that has stayed strong, even now against ICE terrorists.
BR | Jan 22, 2026 at 6:54 pm
What an intelligent, morally superior response. Your name shows nothing but tolerance. Good to hear that you do not need to hear any other opinion other than what you approve of.
Marcos | Jan 13, 2026 at 2:34 pm
This analysis is one-sided and inaccurate, the bias of the opinion column and lack of diversity at the University of Utah is apparent. Your definion of domestic terrorism requires a violation of criminal code, in which ICE as a whole is executing lawful deportation orders in alignment with U.S. immigration code. Furthermore, self-inflicted harm from many protesters as a result of impeding law enforcement is can be reasonably categorized as criminal behavior, and not as a result of ICE acting as “domestic terrorists.”
GOPrNazis | Jan 15, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Might want to check up on ICE terrorist activity again…
Seems they are now going door-to-door committing felony home invasion, assault and kidnapping of multiple U.S. citizens and families.
1st and 4th amendment violations stacking up like crazy.
SUPER illegal.
Literally terrorists.
Every single anti-terrorism agency overseas is calling ICE…TERRORISTS.
Marcos | Jan 20, 2026 at 9:50 am
1st and 4th amendment violations are valid concerns. However “door to door home invasions” can also be called…hear me out…. warrants and deportation orders. They are not terrorists, and a marginal amount of 4th amendment violations should be scrutinized and stop, but cannot be used as a logical connection to domestic terrorism.
John Hedberg | Jan 12, 2026 at 8:47 am
Morgan, out of respect for truth and truth-tellers, I did reading about some of the horrific accusations you leveled in this piece. I encourage you to do a little more research using Google and other resources before making up your mind, because major news outlets (domestic and international) have found evidence which contradicts many of your most incendiary claims.
I did my own research about US immigration law and the Constitution, and I found that Democrats held both chambers of Congress plus the White House from 2021-2023, so they could have changed or passed any immigration reform they wanted with no opposition. Since they didn’t change the law when they had the power (which would have taken days), they now OWN the present immigration law which Congress passed and the President signed decades ago. In not changing them when they had the power, they made those immigration laws BIPARTISAN.
Article II of the Constitution REQUIRES the Executive Branch to execute Congressionally passed laws. When President Trump (who is Chief Executive) enforces bipartisan immigration law, which a majority of Americans (all flavors) elected him to do, he’s carrying out democracy by keeping the law the American People voted for. Since millions of unlawful (though well-meaning) visitors landed mostly in America’s poorest neighborhoods, driving up competition & prices for everything from food to housing to classroom space to insurance prices, and they took the lion’s share of emergency relief resources from poor Americans (all flavors) whose families have been building this nation for generations, quite a few diverse neighborhoods voted solidly in 2024 for deporting everyone who came here unlawfully, since inconsiderate immigration was making it hard to survive for those who were already here.
You can find news stories from major outlets confirming these things, if you look. Trump won in 2024, because neighborhood people were being crushed and ignored, and well-meaning visitors from around the world were being prioritized above struggling families who whose sons, fathers, & brothers had bled in American uniform countless times, and who were being told they mattered less than folks were often arriving from outside with more resources than neighborhood American families who were being ignored & displaced.
How do you think this situation flew with everyone living through it, an avoidable politically-manufactured hell in America’s most diverse neighborhoods?
So, demonizing ICE agents, who are very often just well-meaning men & women of all flavors working to clean up their own neighborhoods by enforcing BIPARTISAN Constitutional law, seems kind of hateful. In fact, calling ICE the N-word, when a huge proportion of ICE agents are men & women of color, might even seem a little racist when they’re arresting narco-criminals, rapists, and violent abusers in their own home neighborhoods. (And calling for competent women running top Cabinet agencies to be killed, like Noem & Bondi, just for trying to enforce democratic American laws, might also be viewed as a little misogynistic, too, but why quibble, right? Are these ladies too ‘butch’ for you?)
Finally, if we’re going to remember children, let’s also #Remember Jocelyn Nungaray and the hundreds of others like her who lost their lives for no reason, simply so politicians could grandstand and fake compassion to extort more power for themselves out of the needless suffering, anguish, and blood of America’s Melting Pot families and neighborhoods, who’ve been paying the price for this divisive and inaccurate ‘revolutionary’ hate rhetoric for generations (people in American neighborhoods and around the world, from Cuba to Venezuela to Ukraine to North Korea & China).
This is a university. Let’s study, do the work, and hopefully learn something which is useful, meaningful, and actually true- 💛
Max | Jan 13, 2026 at 11:17 pm
Your comment is completely irrelevant and does not address or refute any points in the article. None of what you said contradicts ICE being domestic terrorists. You also neglect pertinent facts; for example, ICE is not just carrying out bipartisan laws, but doing things outside the law which are beyond their jurisdiction and oftentimes, as the article points out, illegal. In short, your research is bad.
John Hedberg | Jan 14, 2026 at 12:32 pm
Have you ever lived in the kind of disadvantaged neighborhood where most of these well-meaning but unlawful visitors ended up landing? Do you have any idea what kind of pressure it puts on vulnerable families already living on the edge, when hundreds of thousands of well-meaning people suddenly compete for cheap places to live, to eat, to work, to send their non-English speaking kids to school in already-bad districts, or the fact that new visitors were prioritized over neighborhood people when it came to every kind of emergency safety-net resource?
Have you even considered the impact open immigration had on the most frayed communities all across the country, or the fact the suffering being inflicted was entirely unnecessary, if virtue-signaling politicians had simply followed the Constitution and kept their oath to all of us?
Why do you think HHS law enforcement has such a huge percentage of neighborhood people joining the ranks? Do you understand the kind of hell people live through, bringing up a family in a rundown environment surrounded by crime, where competition for jobs & resources is already tough, and then have local mayors and zero-common-sense politicians refuse to enforce laws which are the only thing keeping your family healthy, fed, and safe on the way to & from work, school, or the grocery store?
Neighborhood people want their own neighborhoods cleaned up. It’s nothing against the well-meaning foreign people who were lied to, when American politicians, who violated the law and their oath, told them they could come into the country illegally if they made it to the border. They’re mostly nice people, but their presence is crushing vulnerable families.
Are you beginning to see the light now, Brother? 💛☺️
John Hedberg | Jan 15, 2026 at 5:19 pm
What specifically is being done that’s “beyond jurisdiction” or “illegal”?
I double-checked my research. Speak your details. 💛
John Hedberg | Jan 11, 2026 at 9:07 pm
On X:
“”Americans Now Living In Fear They Could Be Killed Just For Hitting ICE Agents With Cars”
From @TheBabylonBee, posted 10 January 2026
💛