Former ICE chief says Trump administration is turning agency into a ‘political football’

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg sharply criticized the Trump administration’s handling of immigration enforcement, accusing it of politicizing the agency following the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE officer in Minneapolis this week.

Sandweg made the remarks during an interview with MS NOW’s Katy Tur on Friday, January 9, where he raised concerns about the credibility of the investigation into the death of Renee Nicole Good and warned that the administration’s rhetoric is further eroding public trust in the agency.

‘A tragedy’ turned into a political flashpoint

Sandweg said the administration’s response to the shooting reflects a broader pattern of using ICE as a tool for political messaging rather than focusing on accountability and de-escalation.

“Right now, I do think the administration is using ICE as a political football,” Sandweg expressed.

“Immigration enforcement is always deeply political, but it has gone to new levels here, where even a shooting like this, which I think we can all agree is a tragedy, has become an opportunity to divide the country more, pick sides. ‘Are you with the officer or are you not?’” He added that the focus should remain on facts rather than partisan narratives.

“I think we should be for the truth here,” Sandweg said, urging officials to allow the investigation to play out before assigning blame.

Earlier, Sandweg was particularly critical of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s initial response to the shooting.

Noem had accused Good of attempting to run over the ICE officer with her SUV and labeled the incident an act of “domestic te**orism.”

“I find that to be an incredibly irresponsible statement,” Sandweg had said earlier this week.

He argued that early information provided to the DHS is often incomplete or inaccurate.

“Initial information that DHS receives is almost always wrong,” Sandweg said, calling the administration’s statements a “disservice” to Good, her family, and the credibility of DHS leadership.

Calls to de-escalate amid protests and backlash

Sandweg also warned that ICE officers are increasingly being placed in confrontational roles with protesters, which is indeed leading to heightened tensions.

“At the end of the day, the real responsibility lies with the administration and the government to do what they can and they can do the most of anyone to deescalate the situation,” he told Tur.

The shooting sparked protests, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly backing peaceful demonstrations and telling ICE officials at a press conference to “get the f** out of Minneapolis.”

On Saturday, Minneapolis police said about 30 people were detained after demonstrators allegedly threw snow, ice, and rocks at officers and vehicles.