The fatal Minneapolis ICE shooting

10 snips

Jan 8, 2026

Protests erupt in Minneapolis following a fatal shooting of a woman by ICE agents, sparking controversy and conflicting narratives. Hosts dive into video footage and discuss the contrasting accounts between the Trump administration and local officials. They explore the identity of the victim, Renée Good, and how it shapes public perception. With calls for investigation and a potential nationwide protest movement looming, they ask what this means for immigration policy and the political landscape ahead of the midterms.

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INSIGHT

Videos Are Partial Evidence

Multiple viral videos capture the shooting but only show a snapshot, leaving key context missing.
Sarah Smith warns video evidence can't fully establish the build-up or aftermath of the incident.

INSIGHT

Competing Political Narratives Emerge Fast

Political leaders immediately framed the incident in opposing narratives within hours.
Justin Webb highlights that the mayor called it reckless while the administration labelled it self-defence.

INSIGHT

Administration Frames It As Terrorism

The administration framed the shooting as an attempted vehicular attack and domestic terrorism.
Kristi Noem argued the ICE officer fired defensive shots to save himself and colleagues.

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Protests have broken out in Minneapolis after a US immigration agent shot dead a 37-year-old woman in the city.

Videos posted on social media show the moment of the shooting, in which ICE agents approach a car in the middle of a residential street. As it attempts to drive off, one of the agents points his gun at the driver and at least two shots are heard.

With the Trump administration characterising the incident as “domestic terrorism”, alleging Renee Good had “harassed” officers all day prior to the shooting, the mayor of Minneapolis has labelled this account “bullshit” and called on immigration officers to get out of the city. The governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, is calling for a full investigation but says a fair outcome will be difficult because "people in positions of power" - naming Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem - have "already passed judgement". Walz says they've shared information that he says is "verifiably false" and "inaccurate" and made assumptions about Renee Good's character and actions ahead of the shooting.

In today’s episode, Justin, Sarah and Marianna discuss the reasons why Americans can’t agree on what happened in the videos posted to social media, and reflect on whether the shooting has the capacity to lead to a larger protest movement across the nation. And, as recent polling suggests more Americans are growing dissatisfied with some of the tactics used by ICE, we ask what it would take to change Donald Trump’s mind on his flagship deportations policy.

HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Sarah Smith, North America Editor • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Senior Correspondent

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This episode was made by George Dabby with Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Rohan Madison. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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