Mother of Renée Good: I voted for Trump expecting agents to protect innocents, not accuse them of terrorism

Donna Ganger, the mother of Renée Good, testified at a joint congressional hearing and appealed for accountability after her daughter was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. Ganger framed her remarks around two central points: she voted for stronger federal enforcement because she believed it would protect ordinary Americans, and she rejects the administration's characterization of her daughter as a threat.

Ganger told the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that she is a registered Republican who voted for President Trump "under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the United States." She said she expected that protection to be aimed at terrorists, not "innocents, like our family." She called the killing "madness," repeated that her daughter should still be alive, and said the family seeks accountability.

Ganger also described herself as a Christian who follows teachings about forgiveness. She said she has forgiven but is still seeking justice and oversight in response to her daughter's killing.

Renée Good, described in the coverage as a legal observer of federal agents' actions during an ICE presence in Minneapolis, was shot on January 7, 2026, by ICE agent Jonathan Ross as she drove away in a 2014 Honda Pilot. Ross recorded Good's last words on his cellphone: "That's fine, dude, I'm not mad at you." The shooting and the surrounding facts have become the subject of public and congressional scrutiny.

Administration response and access to evidence

According to the family's lawyers and reporting summarized at the hearing, the Trump administration declined to open a federal investigation into the shooting. Administration officials have also been accused of restricting access to evidence needed for a state-level probe and for the Good family.

High-level personnel publicly blamed Good following the shooting. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and then-Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller described Good as a "domestic terrorist," language the family disputes as part of a pattern that shifted blame onto the victim.

Wider context discussed at the hearing

Ganger spoke at a forum convened to examine deadly shootings by federal immigration agents. The hearing drew attention to how federal agencies investigate incidents involving their own personnel and to the tension between federal control of evidence and state prosecutions or family access. Related reporting referenced other shootings by ICE and Border Patrol personnel during the same administration, which contributed to the hearing's urgency.

Ganger's testimony is both personal and political: she said she supported stricter enforcement but not at the cost of losing a family member and having her daughter labeled as a terrorist. Her testimony highlights three concrete issues currently under debate: whether federal agencies will subject their personnel to independent investigations, how evidence is shared with state authorities and victims' families, and how public statements by officials influence public understanding of fatal incidents.

Ganger asked Congress and relevant agencies to pursue accountability for her daughter's death and to ensure families can access evidence and investigations that clarify what happened. She framed her request as seeking justice through official channels rather than personal retribution.

The testimony places pressure on congressional oversight committees and federal agencies to explain their investigative choices, their handling of evidence, and the public messaging around fatal encounters involving federal immigration agents. For families like the Gangers, the central question is whether government power and enforcement will include transparent accountability when lethal force is used.