What federal or state investigations have resulted in criminal charges against ICE agents for use of deadly force?
Executive summary
Across the reporting provided, there is no documented instance in recent years where a federal or state investigation into an ICE agent’s use of deadly force resulted in criminal charges; investigative projects and news outlets report a pattern of shootings examined by federal and state authorities that have produced no indictments [1] and, in some accounts, “not a single agent appears to have faced criminal charges” over the past decade [2]. The January 2026 Minneapolis killing of Renée Good has provoked multiple probes and public debate, but as of these sources no criminal charges against the ICE agent have been filed and the case illustrates the legal and institutional barriers to prosecution [3] [4].
1. No indictments in major examinations of ICE shootings — the empirical picture
Long-form investigations that compiled ICE shooting incidents found a stark record: reporting on dozens of cases shows investigations by internal DHS bodies, state agencies, and federal prosecutors but virtually no criminal indictments of ICE agents — a high-profile review identified 59 shootings without a single agent indicted [1] [5], and another review concluded that over the past decade more than two dozen people were killed by immigration agents with no apparent criminal charges against agents [2].
2. The legal standards and institutional incentives that make charges rare
Federal and state law both permit deadly force when an officer reasonably believes there is an imminent threat of death or serious injury, a standard that gives investigators and prosecutors substantial deference to an agent’s account and training [6] [7]. Sources note that qualified-immunity-style doctrines, DHS use-of-force guidance, and the internal architecture of federal probes — where DHS investigatory offices, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office often take the lead — combine to make criminal referrals and prosecutions uncommon [2] [4] [8].
3. The Renée Good shooting: a flashpoint that underscores barriers to prosecution
The January 2026 death of Renée Good in Minneapolis has triggered local and federal inquiries, public outrage, and political fallout, yet illustrates how control of evidence and federal primacy can complicate state criminal charging: Minnesota prosecutors signaled they could pursue charges but faced limits after the U.S. Attorney’s Office asserted control and the FBI restricted state access to materials, complicating independent state prosecution efforts [3] [4] [9]. Media accounts and legal experts disagree on whether the video evidence supports a criminal case, and DHS officials have defended the agent’s conduct as justified self‑defense, highlighting the competing narratives that prosecutors would have to resolve [7] [10].
4. Accountability pathways other than criminal charges — administrative and civil routes
When criminal charges do not follow, investigations often result in internal administrative reviews or civil litigation rather than indictments: DHS’s Office of Professional Responsibility investigates policy compliance and can recommend discipline though it lacks unilateral disciplinary power, and civil suits remain an avenue for families and advocates seeking redress [2] [11]. Reporting also shows state agencies sometimes lead or assist investigations [1], but jurisdictional disputes and secrecy frequently limit transparency [4] [8].
5. Competing interpretations and hidden agendas in coverage of prosecutions
Advocates and media critical of ICE emphasize patterns of impunity and secrecy documented by multi‑year investigations [1] [2], while DHS and political defenders underscore officer safety doctrines and the need for deference to trained federal agents [7] [12]. Some reporting flags political interference or shifting narratives around autopsies and investigatory control as signals of an intent to limit accountability; other outlets caution against premature judgments absent full releases of evidence [9] [13]. The sources supplied do not identify a single recent criminal prosecution of an ICE agent for deadly force, and they repeatedly underscore the practical and legal hurdles that make such prosecutions rare [5] [8].