WASHINGTON — The brothers of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who was killed during an immigration enforcement action in Minneapolis, urged Congress to confront violence connected to federal immigration operations and called for changes to prevent future deaths.
Luke and Brett Ganger testified at a congressional hearing led by House and Senate Democrats that focused on use-of-force incidents involving Department of Homeland Security officers carrying out arrests and deportations. Their testimony came after Good was shot and killed Jan. 7; another protester, Alex Pretti, was killed weeks later, incidents that have sparked national outrage and renewed calls to limit aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
At the hearing organized by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the mood was somber as family members and supporters gathered. The brothers comforted one another while describing the loss and urging lawmakers to consider how enforcement practices affect communities.
Luke Ganger described the family’s “deep distress” over losing their sister “in such a violent and unnecessary way,” calling her death a turning point that should prompt changes to operations like those conducted in Minneapolis. He did not offer specific legislative proposals at the forum but emphasized the broader impact on their family and community.
The Trump administration has said federal officers shot Good after she attempted to run over an officer with her vehicle; state and local Minneapolis officials and protesters have disputed that account. Rather than re-litigate the immediate facts of the shooting, Luke and Brett focused on Renee Good’s life and the void left by her death.
Luke said their chief responsibility was to tell listeners “what a beautiful American we have lost”—a sister, daughter, mother, partner and friend. Brett Ganger read excerpts from the eulogy he delivered at her funeral, comparing her to dandelions that bloom unexpectedly and describing her belief that tomorrow could be better and that kindness mattered.
The panel also heard from three other U.S. citizens who described their own encounters with Homeland Security officers, underscoring wider complaints about enforcement tactics used under the administration’s deportation policies. Lawmakers and witnesses pressed for scrutiny of DHS conduct and called for reforms intended to reduce harm during immigration operations.