Family of American woman killed by ICE sues Trump
The family of a US citizen shot dead by an immigration agent is suing Donald Trump's administration, alleging wrongful death and civil rights violations.
Renée Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed in Minneapolis on Jan 7 when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fired three shots into her car .
Her family filed two lawsuits in federal court on Thursday.
One names the United States and seeks damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act, alleging wrongful death, negligence and other misconduct.
The second names Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent , along with senior Trump administration officials including Kristi Noem , the then-homeland security secretary, and Stephen Miller , the White House deputy chief of staff.
Both accused Good of terrorism, with Ms Noem falsely claiming in a press conference that the victim had "attempted to run a law enforcement officer over" during Operation Metro Surge, the administration's mass deployment in Minnesota.
Kristi Noem, then homeland security secretary, and Stephen Miller, a senior Trump aide, are named in the Good family's lawsuit - Getty Images/Saul Loeb
The second lawsuit also alleges a conspiracy to violate civil rights under provisions of the 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act, arguing that the immigration operation deliberately targeted Somali and Hispanic communities and sought to intimidate people who protested or monitored federal agents.
"Renée's death was not an accident," lawyers for the family said, calling it the "predictable result" of policies that encouraged aggressive confrontations.
The Trump administration has defended its immigration crackdown and the conduct of its officers, maintaining that Mr Ross's use of deadly force was justified.
Video of the shooting showed Good speaking to officers from inside her vehicle shortly before she tried to drive away. The family's lawsuit says she was unarmed, suspected of no crime and steering away from Ross when he fired.
The family say Good was unarmed and steering away from ICE agents when she was shot and killed
Good's killing triggered protests in Minneapolis and intensified scrutiny of the administration's deportation campaign.
Two weeks later, federal immigration agents fatally shot another US citizen, intensive-care nurse Alex Pretti , during a confrontation in the city.
Good's death also stoked controversy inside the US justice department after federal prosecutors in Minneapolis were prevented from investigating the agents involved, with several resigning in protest.
No agents have been charged in connection with either killing, although Minnesota authorities are investigating both for possible violations of state law.
Good's widow, Becca Good, said: "What happened to us should never happen to any family. No child should grow up without a parent because of it.
"No one should lose their sister or their daughter. No one should have to live without their soulmate."
