Protests against ICE after ICE officer shot in Minneapolis
Protests against President Donald Trump and his wave of immigration enforcement have swept through Minneapolis over the ICE shooting of Renee Good.
Billionaire Bill Ackman is one of more than 8,000 people who donated to an unidentified online fundraiser to support the federal immigration agent who shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis last week.
As of the morning of January 12th, a GoFundMe campaign launched by Clyde Emmons had raised $374,553, including a $10,000 donation from the hedge fund billionaire. An anonymous donation of $5,000 also topped the list. The fundraiser, established on January 9, is aimed at supporting the potential legal defense of Minnesota-based Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Jonathan Ross.
According to GoFundMe, as of January 12, this fundraiser has not yet been confirmed.
GoFundMe told USA TODAY on January 12: “Our Trust & Safety team is currently investigating all fundraisers related to the Minneapolis shooting to ensure compliance with our terms of service. We are also working to gather additional information from the fundraiser’s organizer.”
The Redwood City, Calif.-based company said in a statement that all funds are “securely held by our payment processor” during the review process.
“GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers that raise funds for the legal defense of those formally charged with violent crimes,” the statement continues. “Campaigns that violate this policy will be removed.”
Who is Bill Ackman and why did he donate to Ross’ GoFundMe?
Mr. Ackman is the 59-year-old founder of Pershing Square Capital Management. As of January 12, his net worth was nearly $9.3 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
“I strongly believe in our country’s legal principle of innocent until proven guilty,” Ackman said in a Jan. 11 post on the X Show. “The whole situation is a tragedy: a police officer who was doing his best in his job, and a protester who probably didn’t mean to kill her, but whose split-second actions led to her death. Our country is stronger when we work together to solve the complex issues that divide us.”
Who started the fundraiser to help Jonathan Ross?
Emmons, a native of Mount Forest, Michigan, wrote on his GoFundMe page that he started a campaign to help Ross. Ross is a U.S. Army veteran with a deployment to Iraq and many years of experience, according to records obtained by USA TODAY.
“I believe that a police officer who was 1000 percent justified in a shooting deserves to be funded by me,” Emmons, who does not know Ross personally, wrote on the GoFundMe page. “The funds will be used to help him.”
Good’s death, captured on video by a bystander, sparked protests and condemnation from local and state authorities, who disputed the Trump administration’s claim that investigators acted in self-defense.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and local leaders have called on ICE to withdraw from both the city and state.
Frey released a statement the same day as the shooting, saying, “The presence of federal immigration enforcement agents causes chaos in our cities and makes our communities less safe.” “We are demanding that ICE be removed from our city and state immediately. We stand with our immigrant and refugee communities. Please know that you have our full support.”
Was Jonathan Ross arrested?
Some lawmakers have called for Mr. Ross’ arrest, but as of early January 12, no charges had yet been filed in the case that has garnered national attention.
As of January 12, the Justice Department had not announced whether it would file charges, and statements from White House officials opposing charges make federal charges seem highly unlikely.
“If the president, the vice president, and the secretary of Homeland Security all say this was self-defense, there’s no chance that Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice will pursue a federal prosecution,” former federal prosecutor Neema Rahmani told USA TODAY.
Contributor: Aisha Bagki
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
