ICE Agent in Renee Good Shooting May Claim Absolute Immunity from State Charges, Leaving Minnesota Officials Scrambling.
The shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis last week has sparked a potential legal showdown between the state and federal government. The agent, Jonathan Ross, may claim absolute immunity from state charges under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause.
The Supremacy Clause establishes federal law as supreme and superseding state law, limiting the ability of states to interfere with federal law through criminal prosecution. However, it also allows states to hold federal officials accountable for violating state law unless there is a conflict between state and federal law.
Minneapolis officials have raised doubts about Ross's claim of immunity, citing video footage of the shooting that appears to contradict the agent's account of events. Local officials pointed out that Minnesota has the authority to investigate and prosecute crimes committed in the state, including the shooting.
Carolyn Shapiro, a law professor and co-director of the Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States at Chicago-Kent College of Law, said it is "simply false" that the state lacks jurisdiction. Shapiro noted that Minnesota has prosecuted federal officials for using deadly force in the past, as seen in an 1990s case involving an FBI sniper.
If charges were filed against Ross, he would likely appear before a federal judge and assert his claim of immunity under the Supremacy Clause. The court would have to determine whether Ross was acting within the scope of his duties and performing them in a "necessary and proper" way.
The outcome is uncertain, with experts noting that Supremacy Clause immunity is a complex legal process most often used during times of heightened tensions between states and the federal government. If Ross were eventually convicted on state charges, he could not be pardoned by President Trump, Shapiro noted.
As the case unfolds, the investigation into the shooting will likely continue to shift between the FBI, Justice Department, and local authorities. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's office has set up an evidence portal to receive submissions from the public, while the state is gathering its own evidence in the Good case.
The shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis last week has sparked a potential legal showdown between the state and federal government. The agent, Jonathan Ross, may claim absolute immunity from state charges under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause.
The Supremacy Clause establishes federal law as supreme and superseding state law, limiting the ability of states to interfere with federal law through criminal prosecution. However, it also allows states to hold federal officials accountable for violating state law unless there is a conflict between state and federal law.
Minneapolis officials have raised doubts about Ross's claim of immunity, citing video footage of the shooting that appears to contradict the agent's account of events. Local officials pointed out that Minnesota has the authority to investigate and prosecute crimes committed in the state, including the shooting.
Carolyn Shapiro, a law professor and co-director of the Institute on the Supreme Court of the United States at Chicago-Kent College of Law, said it is "simply false" that the state lacks jurisdiction. Shapiro noted that Minnesota has prosecuted federal officials for using deadly force in the past, as seen in an 1990s case involving an FBI sniper.
If charges were filed against Ross, he would likely appear before a federal judge and assert his claim of immunity under the Supremacy Clause. The court would have to determine whether Ross was acting within the scope of his duties and performing them in a "necessary and proper" way.
The outcome is uncertain, with experts noting that Supremacy Clause immunity is a complex legal process most often used during times of heightened tensions between states and the federal government. If Ross were eventually convicted on state charges, he could not be pardoned by President Trump, Shapiro noted.
As the case unfolds, the investigation into the shooting will likely continue to shift between the FBI, Justice Department, and local authorities. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty's office has set up an evidence portal to receive submissions from the public, while the state is gathering its own evidence in the Good case.
I've been out of the loop for a bit and just saw that there's been an ICE agent involved in a shooting in Minneapolis. I think it's crazy that he might be able to claim immunity from state charges. Like, doesn't everyone have to follow state laws? 
Even if he was just doing his job, which is questionable in this case... the video footage shows something else entirely and local officials are like "no way". I don't know what's more disturbing, the fact that someone got shot or the fact that there might be a loophole in the law that lets him off scot-free. The whole thing just feels so... complicated 
So like, this is crazy... did you know that since 2015, there have been over 700 reported cases of police shootings, with a fatality rate of around 60% for Black victims? 
That's a huge disparity, and it's no wonder folks are calling out the ICE agent for using excessive force. And btw, in the US, there were over 17,000 fatalities due to gun violence in 2020 alone 
. Meanwhile, on the federal level, the Department of Justice has reported a decline in convictions against police officers accused of using deadly force since 2015, with only around 30% resulting in felony charges 
. What's your take on this? Should we be concerned about the trend of police shootings? 
The fact that an ICE agent thinks they're above the law just because of a stupid clause in the Constitution is just ridiculous. I mean, what's next? Police officers thinking they can shoot unarmed civilians and not face charges because of some technicality? It's like, hello, we have laws to protect us from each other, including the government! 
And now you're telling me that this guy might get a free pass just because he's claiming immunity? No way, man. This is just another example of how the powerful always seem to get away with stuff. 
I mean, I get it, they gotta do their job and all, but does that give them carte blanche to shoot people? 
I think the state of Minnesota is on to something here and they should definitely keep pushing back against this. This case is like, a major test of who's in charge around here... 
...and honestly, it just feels like trump's gonna pardon the guy if he gets convicted. ugh, politics 
Minneapolis officials are totally right to question whether Ross's immunity claim holds up. Those video footages are telling us one thing: something fishy went down that day 
.
. You know how that all went down? Someone got shot and the cops just kinda... did their thing 
. I mean, we've seen this before with FBI snipers back in the 90s... it's not new stuff 
. This case just feels like another déjà vu moment for me... 
I mean i know the supremacy clause and all but come on, doesnt this just sound like some kinda federal overreach? 
]
]
]