Six federal prosecutors in Minnesota abruptly resigned on Tuesday, sending ripples through the state’s legal and political circles.
According to The New York Times, citing sources familiar with the matter, the resignations are linked to disagreements over the Department of Justice’s handling of investigations tied to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent last Wednesday, with reports indicating DOJ pressure to probe Good’s widow, Becca Good, while delaying scrutiny of the agent, identified as Jonathan Ross.
The Minnesota Star Tribune named one of the departing prosecutors as U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson, a key figure in fraud cases, who stepped down alongside other senior members.
Newsweek reported that the issue has sparked intense debate over federal priorities and the balance between law enforcement support and accountability in a deeply polarized climate.
Last Wednesday, Renee Good was fatally shot in the head by ICE agent Jonathan Ross while parked in her car on a residential street in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation.
The Trump administration quickly defended Ross, labeling Good and others in the area as agitators obstructing federal agents amid ongoing fraud probes targeting Somalis in the Twin Cities.
Hours after the incident, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem called Good a “domestic terrorist” who had weaponized her vehicle, though video footage reviewed since has offered no clear conclusion on the events.
Critics of the administration argue that such rhetoric, issued with minimal investigation, risks inflaming tensions and undermining trust in federal actions.
The DOJ’s refusal to launch a civil rights probe into the use of deadly force has only fueled the fire, prompting resignations not just in Minnesota but also among career prosecutors in Washington, D.C., as reported by MS Now on Monday.
Instead, the focus seems fixated on Becca Good and her alleged ties to anti-ICE groups monitoring federal activity, a direction that many, including the resigned prosecutors, find misguided.
Joe Thompson, a 47-year-old career prosecutor who led significant fraud cases in Minnesota, reportedly objected to the DOJ’s push to investigate Becca Good while stalling on Ross’ actions, per The New York Times.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz took to X, stating, “Joe is a principled public servant who spent more than a decade achieving justice for Minnesotans. This is a huge loss for our state.” Walz’s words ring true, but they also hint at a deeper concern: is the DOJ sidelining nonpartisan talent for political loyalty?
Law professor Nicholas Bagley from the University of Michigan Law commented on X, “Joe Thompson was the guy leading the inquiry into all the (very real!) fraud that the Trump administration claims to care so much about. Good luck with getting convictions in those fraud cases now that the prosecutors investigating them have quit.” Bagley’s quip cuts to the core—how does losing key players advance the very causes the administration champions?
As Tuesday unfolded, initial reports of Thompson’s exit—with no clear cause—morphed into news of two, then five, and finally six total resignations, signaling a broader unrest within Minnesota’s federal legal ranks.
With ICE and the FBI still investigating Good’s death, and Minnesota suing the Trump administration to oust federal agents from the state, the path forward looks murkier than a winter fog on the Mississippi.
