Top ICE Official Pushes Back Against Perception of Lack of Trust in Investigation into Fatal Shooting
The top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has pushed back against criticism that Americans cannot trust the federal investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Good. Marcos Charles, a high-ranking ICE official, accused politicians of fueling skepticism about the agency's actions.
Charles defended ICE's conduct in Minneapolis, where the agency has been conducting large-scale immigration enforcement operations as part of Operation Metro Surge. The operation has sparked tense standoffs with protesters and led to concerns about police accountability.
ICE officers are authorized to engage with anyone they encounter while on patrol, Charles said, and they have the right to ask for proof of citizenship. However, when asked if he was bothered by reports of ICE agents detaining American citizens or stopping people on the streets without justification, Charles focused on instances of violent attacks against ICE officers.
"Attacks on our officers are unacceptable," Charles said. "If you assault one of our officers, and assault would be putting hands on one of my officers, spitting in their face, pushing them, you're going to get arrested."
Charles also defended the claim that federal immigration agents have immunity in the conduct of their duties. While DHS posted a message from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stating that ICE agents have federal immunity, Charles refused to comment on the specific statement.
The investigation into Renee Good's killing has been marred by controversy, including allegations that state investigators were blocked from participating and top federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned due to pressure to investigate the actions of ICE officer Jonathan Ross rather than Good and her wife.
The top official at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has pushed back against criticism that Americans cannot trust the federal investigation into the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Good. Marcos Charles, a high-ranking ICE official, accused politicians of fueling skepticism about the agency's actions.
Charles defended ICE's conduct in Minneapolis, where the agency has been conducting large-scale immigration enforcement operations as part of Operation Metro Surge. The operation has sparked tense standoffs with protesters and led to concerns about police accountability.
ICE officers are authorized to engage with anyone they encounter while on patrol, Charles said, and they have the right to ask for proof of citizenship. However, when asked if he was bothered by reports of ICE agents detaining American citizens or stopping people on the streets without justification, Charles focused on instances of violent attacks against ICE officers.
"Attacks on our officers are unacceptable," Charles said. "If you assault one of our officers, and assault would be putting hands on one of my officers, spitting in their face, pushing them, you're going to get arrested."
Charles also defended the claim that federal immigration agents have immunity in the conduct of their duties. While DHS posted a message from White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stating that ICE agents have federal immunity, Charles refused to comment on the specific statement.
The investigation into Renee Good's killing has been marred by controversy, including allegations that state investigators were blocked from participating and top federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned due to pressure to investigate the actions of ICE officer Jonathan Ross rather than Good and her wife.
. I mean, come on, if politicians are fueling skepticism about ICE's actions, that's probably because people like him are making it seem like they're above the law 
. Newsflash: asking for proof of citizenship isn't exactly a new concept, and detaining American citizens or stopping people without justification is just bad policing, period 
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. If you're going to get into a situation with someone, don't pretend like you're not capable of de-escalating it yourself 
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. The fact that state investigators were blocked from participating and top federal prosecutors in Minnesota resigned... yeah, that doesn't sound good at all 
. Charles needs to stop playing dumb and start telling us what really happened 
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... I mean, he's right that ICE officers have a tough job and deserve protection 
, but at the same time, it feels like they're getting some kind of free pass when it comes to their actions 
. Like, yeah, attacks on ICE officers are never okay 
, but we also need to make sure that these agents aren't just stopping random people on the street without a reason... that's basically racial profiling 
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. I mean, I've heard rumors that DHS is going to try and make some changes to the law, but until then... idk 
. We can't just dismiss concerns about police accountability or racial profiling without thinking it through 
. And what about those allegations of state investigators being blocked from participating in the investigation? That's some pretty serious red flag stuff. Can we just get some answers here, you know?
Can we not have a discussion without it turning into a debate over who's right or wrong? 
I mean, Renee Good's family deserves some answers about what happened that day. And what's with the whole "if you assault an ICE officer" thing? 
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