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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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GoFundMe is reviewing a fundraiser that has amassed more than $370,000 in donations to support the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, a spokesperson told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
The killing of Good, a 37-year-old mother, by an ICE agent identified as Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7 has set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government.
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The Trump administration has defended the agent who shot Good in her car, saying he was acting in self-defense and that Good had "weaponized" her vehicle. But state and local officials and protesters have rejected that characterization, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey saying video recordings show the self-defense argument is "garbage."
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing, but Minnesota Democrats have said the investigation into Good’s death should not be overseen solely by the federal government after the FBI barred Minnesota law enforcement from reviewing key evidence.
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What To Know
The GoFundMe page for Ross was set up by a person called Clyde Emmons.
Emmons wrote on the page that after "seeing all the media bs about a domestic terrorist getting go fund me. I feel that the officer that was 1000 percent justified in the shooting deserves to have a go fund me. Funds will go to help him."
In an update on Monday, Emmons wrote that the organizer of a fundraiser on the GiveSendGo platform has Ross’ contact information. "I am in contact with him gave him my number and he said he would pass it onto John himself so I can finally add him as the beneficiary so he can get these funds he deserves," Emmons wrote.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe told Newsweek on Monday that GoFundMe’s Trust and Safety team "is currently reviewing all fundraisers related to the shooting in Minneapolis to ensure they are compliant with our Terms of Service."
The spokesperson said the team is "working to gather additional information from the organizer" of the fundraiser to support Ross.
The spokesperson said GoFundMe’s terms "prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime. Any campaigns that violate this policy will be removed." Ross has not been charged with crime.
The GoFundMe spokesperson added that the only verified fundraiser in connection to the shooting is the one to support Good’s family.
It comes after billionaire Bill Ackman confirmed he had made a donation to the GoFundMe for Ross, saying it was because he is a "big believer in our legal principal that one is innocent until proven guilty."
Ackman added that he had also intended to donate to the fundraiser for Good’s family but it "was closed by the time I attempted to provide support."
What People Are Saying
Bill Ackman wrote on X: "I am big believer in our legal principal that one is innocent until proven guilty. To that end, I supported the @gofundme for Jonathan Ross and intended to similarly support the gofundme for Renee Good’s family (her gofundme was closed by the time I attempted to provide support).
"The whole situation is a tragedy. An officer doing his best to do his job, and a protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death. Our country is stronger if we work together to resolve the complex issues that are tearing us apart."
Jonathan Ross’ father Ed Ross told the Daily Mail: "She hit him. He also had an officer whose arm was in the car. He will not be charged with anything."
Good’s wife Becca Good said in a statement to MPR News, in part: "On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns.
"Renee leaves behind three extraordinary children; the youngest is just six years old and already lost his father. I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him. That the people who did this had fear and anger in their hearts, and we need to show them a better way."
Vice President JD Vance defended the agent during a press conference at the White House on Thursday, saying: "You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action. That's a federal issue. That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, said on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday: "In the immediacy following the shooting, you heard people from the Trump administration saying that the victim was a domestic terrorist. You heard that the ICE agent was acting entirely in self-defense. And here's the thing: You don't need to take my word for it. You don't need to take their word for it. Watch the video. The ICE agent was not run over, as Trump stated. You had a person that was definitively trying to just get out of there. They were trying to leave the scene. That is not a person that's trying to run an ICE agent over."
What Happens Next
A federal investigating Good’s death is underway, but Minnesota officials are challenging the Trump administration’s decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation and leaving it solely to the FBI.
It remains to be seen whether Ross will face any charges in connection with Good’s death.
Meanwhile, immigration enforcement operations are expected to continue in the Twin Cities, with protests against ICE likely to continue in the coming days.
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