Full Breakdown
ICE-Related Shootings Spur Calls for Federal Accountability
By Drooid · · How we work
Recent Fatal Encounters Involving ICE Agents
In January, ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis after she moved her car forward during an enforcement stop. In mid-July, ICE agents stopped a vehicle in Biddeford, Maine, and an officer fired, killing 25-year-old Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero. A week later, an ICE officer shot 28-year-old Wilber Garcés Pérez, a Venezuelan delivery driver, in North Austin after a vehicle pursuit. The incidents have ignited protests and prompted multiple investigations.
Background & Context
These shootings follow other ICE-involved killings, including the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis and the July killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. Families and advocacy groups argue the pattern reflects a broader issue of militarized immigration enforcement and insufficient oversight.
Data & Statistics
- Three fatal shootings involving ICE agents have been reported in the past two months.
- Two additional deaths involving other DHS agents (Pretti and Salgado) occurred in the same period.
- Multiple congressional forums have been convened to hear from families and experts.
Official Statements & Responses
- Former President Donald Trump defended Ross, describing the incident as “hard to believe” that the officer survived.
- Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem labeled Good’s actions “an act of domestic terrorism.”
- ICE said the DHS Office of Inspector General was notified of each shooting and that the incidents would be investigated.
- Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said detectives are speaking “daily” with DHS and that the investigation is being conducted alongside the Texas Rangers and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
- District Attorney José Garza stated prosecutors have requested evidence and have asked to interview the ICE officer who shot Garcés Pérez, noting the suspect is a material witness.
- A federal judge ordered Garcés Pérez to remain in the United States for a court hearing scheduled for the end of September.
Criticism & Opposition
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Sen. Sean P. Murphy have called for independent inquiries, describing the investigations as “slow” and “unsteady.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “The failure to investigate is obvious, and deeply wrong and shameful for the federal government,” — Sen. Richard Blumenthal
- “It makes zero sense to have DHS investigating themselves,” — Sean P. Murphy
- “I want justice to be carried out as soon as possible,” — Martha Karolina Rojas Alvarez
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Video from Ross’s cellphone appears to show Good turning her car away before the fatal shots, contradicting ICE’s self-defense claim.
- ICE asserts Durán Guerrero attempted to flee, while his family says he was heading to work on a pending asylum case.
- In Austin, released footage captures the pursuit and aftermath but omits the moment of gunfire; authorities have not yet obtained dash-cam video from the ICE vehicle.
What’s Next
- The Maine Attorney General’s Office and the DHS Office of Inspector General continue to interview witnesses in the Durán Guerrero case, with the latest contact reported on July 28.
- Austin investigators are still processing pursuit video and seeking body-camera footage from the ICE officer.
- A federal hearing for Garcés Pérez is set for the end of September, during which prosecutors hope to secure additional evidence from DHS.
These parallel investigations underscore growing demands for independent oversight of immigration-related use of force and highlight the challenges local authorities face when federal agencies control critical evidence.