Proposed “ICE Out Act” follows fatal encounter during immigration enforcement and comes as protests spread nationwide.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Dan Goldman of New York said they will introduce legislation to strip Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of qualified immunity, citing the fatal shooting of activist Renee Good during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis as the catalyst for the proposal.
The measure, titled the “ICE Out Act,” is intended to make ICE agents more vulnerable to civil lawsuits and criminal charges when lawmakers believe they act outside the scope of their duties. The bill comes amid heightened scrutiny of immigration enforcement practices following Good’s death and escalating protests across multiple cities.
Swalwell said the legislation was prompted by what he described as the circumstances surrounding Good’s death. Speaking on The Daily Blast from The New Republic, Swalwell highlighted personal items found in Good’s vehicle after the shooting. “Renee Good was a mom of three kids,” Swalwell said, adding that photographs of her glove compartment showed children’s belongings rather than weapons.
Goldman argued that existing legal protections create barriers to accountability for ICE agents by allowing an officer’s subjective perspective to weigh heavily in investigations of use-of-force incidents. He said the bill would apply only to civil immigration enforcement officers and would establish an objective legal standard. “If you are acting completely outside of your duties and responsibilities, you don’t have immunity from a civil lawsuit, and you don’t have a defense from a criminal charge,” Goldman said.
Goldman also said the proposal would narrow ICE agents’ official scope of authority, asserting that their role is limited to investigating and civilly arresting immigrants for immigration violations. He contended that the Minneapolis encounter should not have escalated to a physical confrontation and questioned whether Good’s actions constituted obstruction.
Good, 37, was shot and killed Wednesday in a residential neighborhood of south Minneapolis. Authorities say she blocked a roadway with her SUV while documenting immigration enforcement as a “legal observer.” When agents asked her to move, she attempted to drive away and struck an officer with her vehicle, after which the officer fired into the SUV. Good later died from her injuries.
Officials have said Good’s wife, Becca Good, is a member of a group known as “ICE Watch” and attended a training session days before the shooting that instructed participants on how to impede ICE agents during operations. Becca Good was present at the scene and was heard taunting officers in video footage. She later expressed remorse for encouraging her wife’s actions.
President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance both defended the shooting as self-defense, describing it as a tragedy resulting from Good’s own actions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the ICE agent involved had previously been struck and dragged by a vehicle driven by an illegal immigrant attempting to evade arrest, an incident that left the officer seriously injured and hospitalized.
Good’s death has sparked unrest in Minneapolis, where protesters have repeatedly demonstrated against ICE operations. On Friday night, state police in riot gear declared an unlawful assembly after demonstrators gathered outside a hotel believed to be housing ICE agents and staged what organizers described as a “noise protest,” using drums, pots, pans, bullhorns, and whistles while directing high-powered flashlights at hotel windows.
Civil-liberties and migrant-rights organizations say more than 1,000 protests are planned nationwide in response to the shooting. Organizers say the demonstrations will call for an end to large-scale ICE deployments ordered by President Trump, particularly in cities led by Democratic officials.
The Department of Homeland Security has described the Minneapolis operation as the largest in its history, involving more than 2,000 DHS agents. Protesters are rallying under the slogan “ICE out for good,” with organizing efforts led by groups including the American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn Civic Action, Voto Latino, and Indivisible, which previously coordinated the “No Kings” protests against Trump.
As investigations into the shooting continue, the proposed legislation adds a new dimension to the national debate over immigration enforcement, use of force, and legal protections for federal officers.
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