Who is Jonathan Ross, veteran ICE agent who shot and killed Minneapolis woman?

The death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman and a mother of three, during a large immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, has sparked protest and political outrage. The incident took place on Wednesday morning (January 7). The federal agent who shot and killed Good is Jonathan E Ross, according to court records.

Court documents reveal that Ross, a veteran of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has previously been dragged and injured during an arrest attempt in June 2025 while trying to apprehend Roberto Carlos Munoz-Guatemala, a convicted sex offender in Bloomington, a Minneapolis suburb.

The Donald Trump administration and federal officials maintain that the ICE officer acted in self-defence after Good tried to harm law enforcement personnel. However, videos taken at the time offer a different account. The incident has triggered massive anger, with Democrats now threatening to withhold funding.

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So, what do we know about Jonathan E Ross, accused of Minneapolis killing? Why is the Trump administration defending his actions? We deep dive.

Who is Jonathan Ross, a veteran ICE agent?

Ross, 43, is a Minnesota resident with a decade of experience in ICE’s enforcement and removal operations. The Intercept reported that Ross lived near Fort Bliss, a United States Army base in New Mexico, and on the outskirts of El Paso, Texas.

According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Ross is an Iraq War veteran who has served for nearly two decades in the Border Patrol and ICE. Ross, in a courtroom testimony last month, asserted he was deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005 with the Indiana National Guard. He served as a machine gunner on a combat patrol team, reports NDTV.

In 2005, he returned from Iraq and went to college, and then joined the Border Patrol in 2007 near El Paso, Texas, where he worked until 2015. Since then, he has worked as a deportation officer with ICE, as per records. Records reveal that he was seriously injured after being dragged by the vehicle of a fleeing suspect in a separate incident that took place in June last year. FBI agent told the Daily Mail, “He’s the same ICE agent who got dragged by a car 50 feet back in June, so he has a history.”

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Ross added that he was also a team leader with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. He was also a firearms instructor, an active-shooter instructor, a field intelligence officer, and a member of the SWAT team. During his time at the Border Patrol’s academy in New Mexico, he learned to speak Spanish.

What is Ross’ history in law enforcement?

Attention has turned to Ross’s history in law enforcement, who is now at the centre of a growing backlash over the US administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. According to court documents, in June 2025, Ross and other agents were trying to apprehend Roberto Carlos Munoz, a man who had been convicted of sexual abuse in Minnesota, reports the New York Times (NYT).

The records also show that during a traffic stop, officers attempted to detain Munoz on an immigration order after he refused to comply. An FBI agent mentioned in an affidavit that Ross asked the driver to lower his window and open his door; however, Munoz denied. Ross then shattered the driver’s side window and tried to unlock the door with one arm, according to reports.

The undocumented man then accelerated, dragging Ross roughly 100 yards with his car, the court document mentioned. Ross suffered serious injuries in his arms, which required 20 stitches, reports the NYT, citing records.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also confirmed the same about him being dragged in the past.

What is Trump administration saying about Ross’ actions?

The Trump administration has extended its full support to the law enforcement veteran. Calling the thirty-seven-year-old deceased a “brainwashed victim of left-wing ideology," United States Vice President JD Vance said that the officer acted in “self-defence."

“Good, who was part of a broader left-wing network to attack, dox and make it impossible for our ICE officers to do their job,” said Vance. While addressing reporters at a White House press conference on Thursday (January 8), Vance showed support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. He also said that the Donald Trump administration would not give in to “left-wing terrorism.”

JD Vance: "She was trying to ram this guy with her car, he shot back, he defended himself, he's already been seriously wounded in law enforcement operations before. And everybody that is repeating the lie that this is some innocent woman who was out for a drive in Minneapolis,… pic.twitter.com/SV36KXIWH8

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 8, 2026

On Good’s death, Vance said, “No one wants to see an American killed. It’s absolutely a tragedy, and it’s the making of the far left. It was a tragedy of her own making.”

Noem also accused Good of attempting to ram agents in an act of “domestic terrorism.” She also defended the shooting as “self-defence.” She continued, “He (without taking Ross’ name) is an experienced officer who has served for a number of years, and we recognise he acted according to his training. He acted appropriately to protect his life and the lives of his fellow law enforcement officers.”

“This vehicle was used as a weapon, and the officer felt his life was in jeopardy. It was used to perpetuate a violent act … almost 100 times these vehicles have been used to ram law enforcement officers. It needs to be labelled exactly what it was,” Noem added, as quoted by The Times.

How have other leaders reacted?

“People in positions of power have already passed judgment, from the president to the vice president to Kristi Noem — have stood and told you things that are verifiably false, verifiably inaccurate,” said Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz on Thursday (January 8), as quoted by Newsweek. 

“The law does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat of harm. Rather, they may use deadly force when they face an immediate threat of significant physical harm,” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote on X.

“Deeply concerning, extremely disappointing. My question is, what are you afraid of? What are you afraid of an independent investigation for?”, asserted Keith Ellison, the Minnesota attorney general, reports The Times.

With inputs from agencies