Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and every Senate Judiciary Democrat in urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to heed the calls of career prosecutors and open a civil rights investigation into the death of Ms. Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis earlier this month. In their letter to Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Harmeet Dhillon, the Senators emphasized that DOJ's decision not to investigate Ms. Good's killing is emblematic of a broader trend of the Department ignoring the enforcement of civil rights laws in favor of carrying out President Trump's mass deportation agenda.

AAG Dhillon made clear that DOJ's Civil Rights Division would not investigate Ms. Good's killing - rebuking the reported request of career prosecutors at DOJ to do so and despite the leading role the Civil Rights Division office normally assumes in investigating potential civil rights violations. The letter was sent last week, before Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Senators Padilla and Schiff also support an investigation into Pretti's killing, which DOJ has reportedly declined to open.

According to public reporting, multiple career prosecutors in the Civil Rights Division offered to lead an inquiry into the shooting, which at the federal level is usually led by the Division's Criminal Section. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, second-in command at DOJ, reinforced AAG Dhillon's decision to take an investigation off the table when he publicly claimed there was "no basis" for a civil rights probe into Ms. Good's death. Deputy AG Blanche's assertion is contradicted by an FBI agent's determination - after an initial review - that sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights investigation into the ICE agent who shot Ms. Good. A senior FBI agent in Minneapolis resigned after bureau leadership in Washington pressured her to discontinue a civil rights inquiry.

"Your decision not to investigate the ICE agent's conduct is a marked departure from past administrations of both parties, which historically have taken swift action to open civil rights reviews of many fatal interactions with law enforcement. These investigations have been conducted even when criminal charges were considered unlikely," wrote the Senators. "After you informed Division personnel that you would not consider opening an investigation into whether the ICE agent violated federal law, several career prosecutors - including the head of the Criminal Section, which is responsible for these investigations - accelerated planned departures from the Division."

"Instead of investigating Ms. Good's killing, DOJ has announced the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota would investigate alleged connections between Ms. Good and her widow and groups that have been monitoring ICE activity in Minneapolis. DOJ ordered federal agents to conduct its investigation without Minnesota's local authorities," continued the Senators. "Refusing to share investigative materials or permit a joint investigation is highly unusual."

Six lawyers from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's office also resigned in protest of this politically charged investigation.

In addition to Senators Schiff, Padilla, and Welch, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) also signed the letter.

"Your decision not to investigate Ms. Good's killing reflects a trend in the Division under your leadership of ignoring the enforcement of civil rights laws in favor of carrying out President Trump's political agenda," concluded the Senators. "This trend, combined with apparent political interference in investigative and prosecutorial decisions, undermines public trust, the legitimacy of our institutions, and the rule of law. We urge you to listen to career prosecutors and open a civil rights investigation into the death of Ms. Good."

Full text of the Senators' letter to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon is available here and below:

Dear Assistant Attorney General Dhillon:

On January 7, 2026, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two days later, you announced the Division would not investigate the fatal incident-despite the reported request of career prosecutors in your office to do so and despite the leading role your office normally assumes in investigating potential violations of 18 U.S.C. 242.

Your decision not to investigate the ICE agent's conduct is a marked departure from past administrations of both parties, which historically have taken swift action to open civil rights reviews of many fatal interactions with law enforcement. These investigations have been conducted even when criminal charges were considered unlikely.

According to public reporting, multiple career prosecutors in the Division offered to lead an inquiry into the shooting. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, second-in command at the Department of Justice (DOJ), reinforced your decision to take an investigation off the table when he publicly claimed there was "no basis" for a civil rights probe into Ms. Good's death. His assertion is contradicted by a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent's determination-after an initial review-that sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights investigation into the ICE agent who shot Ms. Good.

After you informed Division personnel that you would not consider opening an investigation into whether the ICE agent violated federal law, several career prosecutors -including the head of the Criminal Section, which is responsible for these investigations-accelerated planned departures from the Division.

Instead of investigating Ms. Good's killing, DOJ has announced the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota would investigate alleged connections between Ms. Good and her widow and groups that have been monitoring ICE activity in Minneapolis. DOJ ordered federal agents to conduct its investigation without Minnesota's local authorities. Refusing to share investigative materials or permit a joint investigation is highly unusual. Six lawyers from the U.S. Attorney's office in Minnesota have also resigned in protest of this investigation.

Your decision not to investigate Ms. Good's killing reflects a trend in the Division under your leadership of ignoring the enforcement of civil rights laws in favor of carrying out President Trump's political agenda. This trend, combined with apparent political interference in investigative and prosecutorial decisions, undermines public trust, the legitimacy of our institutions, and the rule of law. We urge you to listen to career prosecutors and open a civil rights investigation into the death of Ms. Good.

Sincerely,

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