Renee Good’s brother says continued ICE enforcement despite her death is ‘beyond explanation’

WASHINGTON, DC: Renee Good's brother, Luke Ganger, blasted the ongoing ICE enforcement operations after her death. He said the continued crackdown in Minneapolis defies explanation and has left the community facing surreal scenes of federal agents on city streets. 

His comments came as Good's brothers, Luke and Brent Ganger, testified before lawmakers at a congressional forum in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, February 3 urging action and accountability after her fatal shooting by a federal immigration agent.

Good, 37, was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer on January 7 during an enforcement action, and her killing has intensified protests and scrutiny of immigration tactics. Three weeks later, another US citizen, 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti, was also killed by federal law enforcement, fueling further outrage and calls for change.

Renee Good’s brother says her death has not changed conditions on Minneapolis streets

Luke Ganger, brother of slain Minneapolis woman Renee Good, expressed deep disappointment over the federal response following her death, saying the family once hoped her killing would spark change. 

“In the past weeks, our family took some consolation thinking that perhaps her death would bring about change in our country, and it has not,” Ganger told lawmakers at a Capitol Hill hearing Tuesday, February 3.

He called the continued scenes of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis “completely surreal” and "beyond explanation." Ganger also warned that the ICE crackdown has caused long-lasting disruption in the community, telling lawmakers, “This is not just a bad day or a rough week or isolated incidents; these encounters with federal agents are changing the community and changing many lives, including ours, forever.”

Luke Ganger described the emotional toll of ongoing federal enforcement on his family, saying he still struggles to explain the situation to his young daughter. “I still don't know how to explain to my four-year-old what these agents are doing when we pass by,” Ganger said.

He recalled telling her about her aunt’s death, adding that the child responded by saying, “There are no bad people, and everybody makes mistakes,” and that she has “Nee’s spirit.”

Renee Good’s brother Brent Ganger reads excerpts from her obituary

Lawmakers convened Tuesday’s hearing as part of a broader inquiry into federal agents and their use of force.

Democratic Sen Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Rep Robert Garcia of California organized the session. Ganger appeared alongside his brother, Brent Ganger, who read excerpts from Renee Good’s obituary and described her as “sunshine” and “dandelions.”

“Renee had a way of showing up in the world that made you believe things were going to be okay, not because she ignored the hardship, but because she chose optimism anyway,” Brent Ganger said. “She chose to look for what was good, what was possible and what was worth loving. Nene loved fiercely, openly and without hesitation.”

“She believed tomorrow could be better than today. She believed that kindness mattered, and she lived that belief even when things were hard,” he said.

After both brothers finished speaking, Blumenthal thanked them for what he called a “powerful appeal to the nation’s conscience.”

“I hope that all of our colleagues will join in seeking the action that you just described that is so important, not just as a tribute to your sister but as a way to prevent the lawless brutality that caused her death – literally murder,” he said.