Trump’s border chief Tom Homan did not support Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s description of the fatal Minneapolis ICE shooting as “domestic terrorism.” He said it would be “unprofessional” to make conclusions based on the circulating video while investigators are still gathering evidence.
Homan made this statement in an interview with CBS News after an ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an operation on Wednesday in a residential neighborhood of Minneapolis.
“It’d be unprofessional to comment on what I think happened in that situation,” Homan said. “Let the investigation play out and hold people accountable based on the investigation.”
CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil pressed Homan on Noem’s choice to label the incident “domestic terrorism.” Homan redirected the question. “That’s a question for Homeland Security. I’m the border czar,” he stated.
Noem and the Department of Homeland Security quickly defended the agent’s actions as self-defense. They accused Good of trying to ram federal officers with her vehicle. In a news conference, Noem claimed Good had harassed officers and was “attempting to run [ICE agents] over and ram them with her vehicle.” She also said that an officer had been struck, treated at a hospital, and released.
Exclusive: Border Czar Tom Homan tells @tonydokoupil that it’s important to let the investigation in Minneapolis of the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old woman by ICE agents “play out.” He declined to comment on viral videos circulating online, saying it would be “unprofessional”… pic.twitter.com/2AL3WIE7AQ
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) January 8, 2026
Bystander video has provided a different account from local officials. Reuters reported that the footage shows masked officers approaching Good’s SUV as it was angled in the street. The vehicle briefly reversed before moving forward and turning right as if to leave. An officer near the front of the SUV fired three times while jumping back, with the last shots aimed through the driver’s window after the bumper seemed to have cleared his body. The video reportedly did not show contact between the vehicle and the officer.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the video contradicted the federal version of events, labeling the self-defense claim as “bullshit” and “garbage,” according to Reuters.
The FBI is investigating the shooting, and Minnesota officials have criticized federal control of the inquiry. Reuters reported that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension initially agreed to conduct a joint investigation with the FBI, but the FBI later took over completely, leading the state bureau to withdraw. Drew Evans, the bureau’s superintendent, stated that the change cut the state off from evidence, materials, and interviews.
Protests followed. About 1,000 demonstrators gathered Thursday morning at a federal building housing an immigration court, and some federal officers used tear gas and pepper balls.
The shooting has also triggered a wave of political reactions from Washington. Newsweek cited a statement from Trump on Truth Social, where he claimed he had watched video of the incident. He asserted that Good “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer,” adding the agent “seems to have shot her in self-defense.”
Homan urged patience and criticized lawmakers who labeled the shooting a “murder” before the investigation concluded. “I’m not going to comment on an ongoing investigation,” he told CBS News.
However, not long after the interview, he released a statement on X, describing the shooting as “self defense,” defending ICE officers.
