Donna Ganger, mother of Renée Good—shot and killed by ICE agents on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis—told a congressional forum she voted for Donald Trump but condemned the administration's immigration enforcement as "madness." The Jan. 7 killing and a subsequent Jan. 24 shooting of Alex Pretti intensified debate over ICE tactics. Speaking at a bicameral forum hosted by Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Robert Garcia, Ganger urged bipartisan scrutiny and emphasized that grief and concern transcend political differences.
Renée Good’s Mother, a Trump Voter, Condemns ICE Shootings as ‘Madness’ at Congressional Forum
Donna Ganger, mother of Renée Good (Credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Donna Ganger, the mother of 37-year-old Renée Good—who was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis—told a bicameral congressional forum that she voted for Donald Trump but called the administration's immigration enforcement "madness." Ganger spoke at a forum on ICE-related shootings convened by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Representative Robert Garcia (D-CA).
"I'm a registered Republican. I voted for President Trump under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the United States, innocents like our family and the others here, against terrorists," Ganger said. "Certainly not to accuse those of us here of being terrorists and take precious lives. This is madness."
The Jan. 7 killing of Good in Minneapolis became a flash point in the national debate over ICE tactics and the Trump administration's immigration policies, sparking protests and discussion across Minnesota and beyond. Weeks later, on Jan. 24, another fatal shooting involving ICE agents resulted in the death of Alex Pretti, intensifying scrutiny of enforcement practices.
"As a parent, it is our instinct and our honor to protect our children. Fast forward to today, and it's torture that as a mom, and as a family, we could not protect Renée," Ganger said, describing her anguish and arguing the Jan. 7 incident reflected a disregard for constitutional protections.
Ganger framed her remarks as a bipartisan concern, emphasizing that grief and calls for accountability cross party lines. "Our family is a very American blend. We vote differently, but we love each other deeply," she told the forum, using her own voting history to underscore that criticism of the shootings should not be confined to one political side.
Her testimony added a personal voice to growing calls for closer scrutiny of ICE operations and for reforms intended to prevent future tragedies. Video of her remarks was shown during the forum convened by Blumenthal and Garcia.
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