Majority of Republicans believe ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good was justified, poll shows

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: More than half of Republican voters believe the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, killed by an ICE agent earlier this month, was justified, according to a new national poll conducted in the days following her death.

The findings underscore the sharp partisan divide that has emerged after the Jan. 7 shooting, which occurred while Good was seated inside her vehicle during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. 

Poll reveals deep split over use of force by ICE

A YouGov survey conducted shortly after the shooting found that 61 percent of Republicans said the amount of force used by the ICE agent was justified. 

By contrast, 15 percent of Republican respondents said the shooting was 'not justified', while 24 percent said they were unsure.

Among Democrats, the response was markedly different. 88 percent of Democratic respondents said the shooting was unjustified, while 58 percent of independents shared that view.

Looking at all respondents regardless of party affiliation, the poll found that 53 percent said the shooting was not justified, 28 percent said it was justified, and 18 percent said they were unsure.

Conflicting interpretations of video fuel controversy

Video footage of the encounter has become central to the debate. The footage appears to show Good reversing her vehicle and then driving forward, turning to the right, as an officer standing in front of the car fires three shots into the vehicle.

Trump and administration officials have asserted that Good attempted to run over the ICE agent, arguing the officer acted in self-defense.

Democrats dispute that account, saying the footage does not clearly support claims that the agent’s life was in imminent danger.

The Department of Justice has not released a full public accounting of the investigation into the shooting, while federal authorities have limited the involvement of Minnesota state and local law enforcement, further intensifying criticism from local officials and civil rights advocates.

In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his defense of ICE and his broader immigration crackdown.

“Do the people of Minnesota really want to live in a community in which there are thousands of already convicted murderers, drug dealers and addicts, rapists, violent released and escaped prisoners, dangerous people from foreign mental institutions and insane asylums, and other deadly criminals too dangerous to even mention,” Trump wrote.

He added that “all the patriots of ICE want to do is remove them from your neighborhood.”

In a follow-up post, Trump accused Minnesota Democrats of exploiting unrest for political gain.

Nationwide protests erupt after shooting

Good’s death has sparked widespread demonstrations across the United States. 

Thousands of protesters gathered in Minneapolis, New York, Washington, D.C., and other major cities, calling for accountability and an end to ICE operations in local communities.

Demonstrators held signs reading “ICE off our streets for Good” and “Justice for Renee Good,” as activists and community leaders linked the shooting to broader concerns about aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.

Organizers described the protests as a response not only to Good’s killing, but also to what they see as the increasing militarization of federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.