Senior Trump Officials, Including Kash Patel, Ordered FBI To Halt Civil‑Rights Probe After ICE Agent Fatally Shot Renee Good

Within hours after Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent on a Minneapolis street last month, Minnesota federal prosecutors moved to open what they described as a routine civil‑rights investigation into the use of force. A senior prosecutor obtained a warrant to search Good’s SUV, and the FBI prepared to execute it — but agents were told to stop.

Intervention From Washington

According to a New York Times report, senior Trump administration officials — including FBI Director Kash Patel — intervened and instructed agents to stand down, pausing the probe just as it was about to begin. The directive followed concern in Washington that a civil‑rights inquiry could clash with President Donald Trump’s public statements that blamed Good for the shooting.

Renee Good and Alex Pretti. / Getty Images

Shift In Investigative Strategy

Sources told reporters that agents were directed to abandon the office’s standard investigative plan and pursue alternate legal theories. Suggested approaches included seeking new warrants framed around whether Good had assaulted the ICE agent, and, in a controversial pivot, directing attention toward Good’s partner. Several career prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office criticized the changes as legally dubious and politically motivated.

Resignations And Strain On The Office

The order sparked an internal revolt: at least six federal prosecutors resigned from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office rather than comply with what they described as political interference in a routine inquiry. The departures reportedly continued in the following weeks, leaving the office struggling to handle a surge of immigration‑related cases, including other use‑of‑force incidents and civil suits challenging detentions and enforcement actions.

Minneapolis police Chief Brian O'Hara and Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt. / Star Tribune via Getty Images / Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara: "In the absence of an independent use‑of‑force investigation, you lead the public to believe that there must be something to hide."

Local officials warned that halting an independent review would deepen public distrust. Even the ICE agent’s own legal adviser, attorney Chris Madel, reportedly supported a civil‑rights probe, saying such investigations are a standard way to resolve disputed uses of force and protect all parties involved.

Reactions And Next Steps

The episode has renewed scrutiny over Washington’s role in shaping sensitive law‑enforcement decisions, particularly when an investigation could conflict with public statements by political leaders. The FBI declined to comment, and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.