NACOLE Calls for Independent Investigation Following ICE Use of Deadly Force
Logo provided by the organization’s website:https://www.nacole.org/ Building Public Trust Through Law Enforcement Accountability and Transparency
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2026
Media Contact: Cameron McEllhiney, Executive Director
mcellhiney@nacole.org 317.721.8133
The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) calls for an independent investigation of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s use deadly force in Minnesota that resulted in the tragic death of Renee Good. Any use of deadly force by law enforcement demands the highest level of independent scrutiny. Transparency, accountability, and public trust require that investigations into such incidents be conducted by entities that are fully independent from the agency involved. NACOLE is therefore deeply disappointed by the reversal of U.S. Attorney’s Office’s original decision to have the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s (BCA) Force Investigations Unit, created by the Minnesota legislature to provide independent investigations of use of force incidents involving law enforcement, conduct a joint investigation with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). The removal of an independent investigative body undermines public confidence and raises serious concerns about the integrity and credibility of the process.
This incident underscores a longstanding and urgent gap in our public safety systems: the lack of consistent, independent civilian oversight of federal law enforcement agencies. While many states and municipalities have taken important steps to establish oversight of local law enforcement, federal agencies, including ICE, remain largely insulated from meaningful, independent review. In a democratic society, law enforcement officers should be accountable to the public. NACOLE calls for expanded, permanent, and truly independent civilian oversight at the federal level, including oversight of the use of force, misconduct investigations, and systemic practices.
Independent civilian oversight is not anti-law enforcement. On the contrary, it strengthens law enforcement by promoting constitutional policing, improving practices, identifying systemic failures, and reinforcing legitimacy in the eyes of the communities they are sworn to serve. Oversight bodies provide a critical mechanism for transparency, accountability, and improved practices that benefits both the public and law enforcement professionals.
We stand with community members across the country who continue the difficult and necessary work of ensuring that, at a minimum, law enforcement conducts itself in a constitutional manner. We also call for an end to the current pattern of federal intervention and actions in our cities that are occurring without adequate transparency, accountability, or community input.
The death of Renee Good demands more than expressions of concern; it demands structural change. NACOLE urges policymakers, federal officials, and the public to recognize that independent civilian oversight must be a permanent and integral part of all public safety systems. Only through meaningful oversight can we ensure accountability, protect civil rights, and honor the fundamental principles of justice upon which our system depends.
About NACOLE
The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) is an association dedicated to creating a community of support for independent, civilian oversight entities that seek to ake their local law enforcement agencies, jails, and prisons more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the communities they serve. For nearly 30 years, NACOLE has provided training, technical assistance, and support to oversight practitioners, community members, elected officials, and members of law enforcement committed to accountability, transparency, and constitutional policing.