Archbishop prays for calm after ICE agent kills woman in Minneapolis

‘We need to stop fear-filled speculation and start seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God. That is as true for our immigrant sisters and brothers as it is for our elected officials.’

The Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Bernard Hebda pleaded for prayers and calm after an immigration official shot and killed a US citizen in Minneapolis.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer shot 37-year-old Renee Good after an altercation in a street in south Minneapolis on 7 January, officials said. The officer reportedly fired into Good’s vehicle after she attempted to drive away while surrounded by agents.

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleged that Good was “harassing and impeding” agents prior to the shooting. Law enforcement including the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating the incident.

In a statement, Hebda called for “all people of goodwill to join me in prayer for the person who was killed, for their loved ones, and for our community”.

“We continue to be at a time in this country when we need to lower the temperature of rhetoric, stop fear-filled speculation, and start seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God,” he said.

“That is as true for our immigrant sisters and brothers as it is for our elected officials and those who are responsible for enforcing our laws,” he continued. “I echo today the repeated call of the US Catholic bishops that we come together as a nation and pass meaningful immigration reform that does justice to all parties.”

“The longer we refuse to grapple with this issue in the political arena, the more divisive and violent it becomes,” Hebda added.

The archbishop referred to a November 2025 statement from the US bishops urging immigration reform and opposing the indiscriminate mass deportation of immigrants who lack legal status.

“We pray for an end to dehumanising rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement,” it said. “We pray that the Lord may guide the leaders of our nation, and we are grateful for past and present opportunities to dialogue with public and elected officials.”

Officials in Minnesota condemned the shooting. State Governor Tim Walz decried what he called the “propaganda machine” surrounding the incident in a statement on social media, while Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said officials were “demanding ICE to leave the city immediately”.

Hebda said in his statement: “It is only by working together – with God’s help – that we will have peace in our communities, state and world.”

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