Families testify on deaths in ICE encounters at Democratic forum

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Top Democratic lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday from families and loved ones of five people fatally shot by federal immigration agents. Witnesses from across the country said they want justice and accountability from the government.

“My daughter should still be alive,” said Donna Ganger, the mother of Renée Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis in January.

“I deeply regret that it took the death of Renée to wake me up to the fact that no one in this country is untouchable,” Brent Ganger, Good’s brother, said. “My family had the unfortunate privilege of learning the hard way, through the loss of our beloved Renée, that no one is safe while ICE continues to terrorize us.”

While Good wasn’t the first, her death spurred a push from congressional Democrats for investigations into what they call the “lawless and abusive tactics” used by federal immigration agents.

“After all those horrific deaths and public outcry, we were told DHS was going to change,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), ranking member on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “Again and again those promises were proven false.”

Tuesday was Blumenthal and California Rep. Robert Garcia’s fifth public forum on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issues. DHS oversees immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) and customs and border protection (CBP).

“We’re here to fight for accountability and for the rights of all people,” Rep. Garcia, ranking member on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said. “We need body cameras. We need real warrant processes for judges. We need aggressive, comprehensive, independent investigations. We need criminal prosecutions. And most importantly, we need justice for witnesses here today.”

Garcia and Blumenthal were joined by multiple Democrats from both chambers, including Minnesota’s Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

“This is not a partisan issue,” said Rachel Reyes, Ruben Ray Martinez’s mother. Martinez was shot and killed by an ICE agent in March 2025 in South Padre Island, Texas.

“Trust in our government is foundational, and right now that trust is broken,” Reyes added.

No Republicans attended Tuesday’s public forum.