ICE shooting in Minnesota echoes in Georgia Capitol

The killing of a Minnesota woman by a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has stirred partisan divide across the country and in Georgia.

Republican and Democratic state lawmakers repeated national talking points on the shooting as they returned to the state Capitol this week for their annual legislative session. Republican elected officials said the officer acted in self-defense and Democrats said the woman — 37-year-old Renee Good — was murdered.

On Tuesday, at a news conference under the Gold Dome, Senate Democrats unveiled a package of legislation aimed at restraining ICE.

“These people have become rogue agents and thugs,” said state Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs, who was flanked by immigration advocates. “These ICE officials think that they can act with utter lawlessness and face no consequences.

One measure would prevent agents from wearing masks during encounters. Another would restrict National Guard deployment without express permission from the governor. Neither of the bills are likely to move in a Republican-controlled Legislature.

In 2024, GOP members passed House Bill 1105, requiring sheriffs to help enforce federal immigration law.

State Rep. Jesse Petrea, R-Savannah, sponsored the bill. He said his legislation is one reason these kinds of ICE interactions have not happened in the state.

“We are handing people over to law enforcement out of jails and prisons,” he said. “You have this weak, pro-criminal leadership in Minneapolis.”

To Petrea and Clint Crowe, chair of the House Public Safety Committee, Good was putting herself in jeopardy by interfering with law enforcement.

“Based on my experience and perspective, I believe he was justified in his actions in the shooting,” said Crowe, R-Jackson.

Crowe, a former patrolman and detective with the Henry County Police Department, said he believes the officer feared for his safety and needed to protect the public by eliminating a potential threat.

But state Rep. Yasmin Neal, a former Clayton County Police detective, said she did not see enough evidence to justify a shooting and the officer should have attempted to de-escalate the situation.

“Using your weapon is the last resort, and it looks like they skipped the (force) continuum,” said Neal, D-Jonesboro. “Every officer I know is trained to move out of the way of a moving car, because no matter if you were to shoot a vehicle or not, the vehicle is still going to keep going.”

Neal and Crowe agreed that officers should not have shot at a tire on the car because the bullet could hit a bystander.

However, Neal said Good was not under arrest nor had she been detained, so she should have been allowed to leave. Having watched multiple angles of the video, Neal said it did not appear as though Good intended to hurt the officer using her car.

“Anybody that’s trying to kill you with the car, they usually don’t hit reverse first,” she said.