Renee Good's Widow Under Federal Investigation For Impeding ICE Officer: Report

The widow of Renee Good, the Minnesota woman whose fatal shooting sparked ongoing protests in the state's largest city, is under federal investigation to determine whether she impeded the ICE officer who fatally shot her wife, according to an NBC News report citing two people familiar with the investigation.

The investigation into the shooting is focusing on Becca Good and her possible ties to activist groups, rather than if ICE officer Jonathan Ross' actions when he fired into Renee Good's SUV during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis last week, the people told NBC News.

In a statement sent to NBC News, Becca Good’s lawyer said, "There has been no contact from the FBI or federal officials indicating (she) is the subject of an investigation.”

The U.S. Department of Justice is also investigating Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly impeding federal immigration agents and their ability to do their jobs in the state, according to separate reports citing people familiar with the matter.

CBS News first reported the investigation, which stems from statements Walz and Frey made about the thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents deployed to the Minneapolis region.

Subpoenas are expected to be issued in the probe, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.

The investigation comes during a weeks-long immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and St. Paul that the Department of Homeland Security has called its largest recent immigration enforcement operation, resulting in more than 2,500 arrests.

The operation has become more confrontational since the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7, with agents pulling people from cars and homes and frequently being confronted by angry bystanders demanding they leave. State and local officials have repeatedly told protesters to remain peaceful.

Walz released a statement following the reports, saying he has not received any notice of the investigation.

"Two days ago, it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week, it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents is a dangerous, authoritarian tactic," Walz said. "The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her."

U.S. senators Kelly, from Arizona, and Slotkin, from Michigan, are under investigation by the President Donald Trump administration after appearing with other Democratic lawmakers in a video urging members of the military to resist “illegal orders." The administration has also launched a criminal investigation of Powell, a first for a sitting Federal Reserve chair.

Frey described the investigation as an attempt to intimidate him for “standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this Administration has brought to our streets.”

The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party also released a statement accusing Trump of weaponizing the DOJ to target his political enemies.

“Our elected officials have made it abundantly clear: Trump’s violent and chaotic retribution campaign has no place here,” said DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom. “The president and his administration need to stop weaponizing the federal government and turn the temperature down."

With more protests expected in the Twin Cities this weekend, state authorities urged demonstrators to avoid confrontation.

“While peaceful expression is protected, any actions that harm people, destroy property or jeopardize public safety will not be tolerated,” said Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

His comments came after Trump backed off a bit from his threat a day earlier to invoke an 1807 law, the Insurrection Act, to send troops to suppress demonstrations.

“I don’t think there’s any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I’d use it,” Trump told reporters outside the White House.

A U.S. judge in Minnesota ruled on Friday that the federal officers working in the Minneapolis-area enforcement operation can’t detain or use tear gas on peaceful protesters who aren’t obstructing authorities, including when they're observing agents.

The case was filed before Good's shooting on behalf of six Minnesota activists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota.

Government attorneys had argued that the officers have been acting within their legal authority to enforce immigration laws and protect themselves. But the ACLU has said government officers are violating the constitutional rights of Twin Cities residents.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.