The Bullies on the Block
ICE is teaching cadets to violate the constitution, and they were attempting to cloak it in secrecy.— Ryan Schwank, Former ICE Instructor
The Trump administration expanded its immigration crackdown in late 2025, culminating in Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
On January 7, 2026, ICE officer Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, in Minneapolis. Trump claimed Renee “viscously ran over the ICE Officer.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem agreed, calling Renee's actions “an act of domestic terrorism.”
A Reuters video analysis showed Ross firing as Good’s SUV moved past him, with the second and third shots entering through the driver’s side window.
On January 24, federal immigration officers killed Alex Pretti in the same city. The DHS claimed he approached Border Patrol officers with a handgun and violently resisted disarmament. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino suggested he intended to “massacre law enforcement.” Noem accused him of domestic terrorism, while White House adviser Stephen Miller called him an assassin, according to accounts of their statements.
Bellingcat’s analysis showed Pretti holding a phone, not a gun, as he intervened near women an agent had shoved. Officers sprayed him and wrestled him to the ground. One agent appeared to remove a handgun from his waistband before others opened fire. The footage did not show Pretti brandishing the weapon. It did not establish whether the shooters knew he had been disarmed. Minneapolis police said he had a permit to carry it.
After the shootings and ensuing protests, Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to replace Bovino at the head of the Minnesota operation. On February 12, Homan announced the surge would end, with many deployed agents returning to their home states. Both Good and Pretti were U.S. citizens.
Events like these have raised questions about officer preparation. Former ICE instructor Ryan Schwank testified on February 23 that the agency had cut 240 hours from a 584-hour training program, including legal instruction on the use of force. In his testimony, he said "ICE is training cadets to violate the constitution." Documents released by Sen. Richard Blumenthal detailed eliminated classes and practical examinations. DHS denied cutting training hours or subject matter.