On January 8, 2026, former acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf went on Newsmax’s Wake Up America and urged Americans to let the Minneapolis investigation into a fatal federal law enforcement shooting play out without interruption. The incident, which occurred during an ICE operation and left 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good dead, has been seized upon by local politicians and the left-leaning media as an opportunity for raw, reflexive outrage rather than careful fact-finding.
Video released from the scene shows a chaotic encounter: federal agents say the driver blocked agents, ignored commands, and attempted to flee, creating a clear and immediate danger to officers on the ground. Wolf rightly cautioned that split-second decisions in life-and-death moments demand context and a full investigation before anyone starts rewriting the narrative to score political points.
Make no mistake — the root of much of this turmoil is the sanctuary-first policies promoted by Minneapolis city hall and the governor’s office. When city and state leaders hamstring cooperation with federal enforcement, they force ICE and Border Patrol into uncontrolled street operations where the risks to civilians and officers skyrocket; that dysfunction is not an abstract theory, it is the real-world consequence we just watched unfold.
Worse still, inflammatory rhetoric from officials only fans the flames. Instead of calming the situation and deploying local police to restore order, some leaders chose sound bites that encouraged confrontation and emboldened mobs to interfere with lawful enforcement actions — a dereliction of duty that should anger every citizen who values public safety.
Chad Wolf was correct to demand an uninterrupted, transparent probe — not because the federal agents are above scrutiny, but because a fair, evidence-driven inquiry is the only path to justice for the victim, accountability for anyone who crossed a line, and restoring trust in law enforcement. Conservatives should insist on the same standard we expect when an officer or a civilian is harmed: get the facts, let the investigators do their work, and resist the cynical rush to judgment from politicians looking to score headlines.
The broader lesson is stark: law and order cannot survive when politics dictate policing. If city leaders continue to demonize federal officers while refusing to provide backup and cooperation, they will invite more violence and chaos — and the federal government must be prepared to act to protect its personnel and the public, up to and including federal options that have been discussed as tensions rise.
Americans who love this country and its institutions should stand firm behind a careful investigation and demand real leadership — not performative condemnation. Hold the politicians accountable, support our law enforcement, and insist that justice be delivered on facts, not on feverish political theater.
