A federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minneapolis turned deadly on January 7 when a woman, Renée Nicole Good, was shot and killed during a confrontation with an ICE agent — an event the Department of Homeland Security immediately framed as an act of “domestic terrorism” while local leaders and onlookers say the video tells a different story. This is the kind of fast-moving, heart-wrenching headline that political media love: violent image, moral outrage, and instant narrative picked for partisan advantage.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s answer has been to denounce the federal presence and demand ICE leave the city, accusing officials of grandstanding and political performance even as investigators try to sort the facts. That tweet-and-speech playbook — make a theatrical stand, score points with activists, and absolve local officials of responsibility — is not leadership; it’s theater that makes this city less safe for regular people.
Families and neighbors deserve truth, not talking points. We owe it to the memory of the woman who died and to the public servants who risk their lives to withhold judgment until the investigation is complete, not to rush to condemn or to celebrate based on a 30-second clip and a political narrative. At the same time, federal agents operate in dangerous conditions and deserve that their actions be judged by evidence and due process rather than by the fever-swamp of social media.
There’s a second problem: weaponizing language. Labeling a chaotic street encounter a form of “domestic terrorism” without a full accounting is the kind of administrative overreach that cheapens real counterterrorism authorities and hands the left a rhetorical cudgel to silence dissent and shield political allies. Conservatives should defend robust enforcement of immigration law, but we should also insist that the administration and their allies use precise, accurate language — and stop using tragedy as a political hammer.
If Minneapolis is going to recover from scenes like this, local leaders must stop reflexively blaming anyone with a uniform and start doing the hard work of restoring public order, supporting lawful enforcement, and cooperating with proper investigations. The rule of law cannot survive when mayors trade in posturing; it survives when officials insist on facts, back the institutions that keep communities safe, and hold bad actors accountable through the proper channels.
Hardworking Americans want two things that are not mutually exclusive: safety in their streets and fairness from their institutions. That means a full, transparent investigation that respects both the family of the deceased and the due-process rights of law enforcement, coupled with political leaders who put citizens before headlines. Anything less is a betrayal of the public trust and a gift to the chaos merchants on both sides of the aisle.
