{"id":2552878,"date":"2026-01-26T14:44:02","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/do-ice-shooting-victims-fit-the-definition-of-domestic-terrorists\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T14:47:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T19:47:36","slug":"do-ice-shooting-victims-fit-the-definition-of-domestic-terrorists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/do-ice-shooting-victims-fit-the-definition-of-domestic-terrorists\/","title":{"rendered":"Do ICE shooting victims fit the definition of domestic terrorists?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdo-ice-shooting-victims-fit-the-definition-of-domestic-terrorists%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2552878&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and some Trump administration officials, including Stephen Miller, have labeled two recent officer-involved deaths in Minnesota \u2014 Renee Good and Alex pretti \u2014 as examples of \u201cdomestic terrorism.\u201d Both shootings occurred <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/portlands-mayor-extends-state-of-emergency-amid-antifa-blm-terror-after-chauvin-trial\/\" title=\"Portland\u2019s mayor extends state of emergency amid Antifa, BLM terror after Chauvin trial\">amid heightened tensions<\/a> between federal immigration enforcement and local protesters; federal authorities say Pretti \u201cviolently resisted\u201d and carried a registered handgun,and contend Good struck an officer with her vehicle. DHS framed the incidents under its <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >2020 anti-government violent-extremism description<\/a>, while critics and legal officials caution that the legal definition of domestic terrorism (under the USA PATRIOT Act) requires proof of intent to intimidate or influence government policy.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to apply the domestic-terror label, warning against prejudicing investigations. Video of the Pretti encounter and details from both scenes have raised questions about the official accounts; DHS posted photos of Pretti\u2019s handgun and described the shootings as defensive. Multiple self-reliant probes \u2014 by the FBI, DHS, and Border Patrol \u2014 are under way, agents involved have been reassigned, and Republican lawmakers have called for thorough, impartial investigations. The federal inquiry into Good\u2019s death has focused more on her actions than on pursuing a civil-rights case, a stance that has sparked resignations among some local federal personnel. The Trump administration says it is reviewing the incidents and will make determinations, while legal experts note courts will ultimately need to determine whether the actions meet the statutory standard for domestic terrorism.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Noem has called victims of ICE shootings domestic terrorists. Do they fit the definition?<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2484692\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Homeland Security Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kristi-noem\/\">Kristi Noem<\/a> is one of many <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\">Trump administration<\/a> officials who have called the victims of recent officer-involved shootings in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/minnesota\/\">Minnesota<\/a> domestic terrorists, but the jury is still out on whether Renee Good and Alex Pretti fit that definition.<\/p>\n<p>The two high-profile shootings have come amid heightened tensions between immigration enforcement and local protesters, whose actions often provoke federal officers into taking lethal action. Whether their actions were justified remains up for debate pending investigations into the incidents, but the Trump administration is doubling down on its immigration operation in the blue state.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4433510\/congress-preparing-partial-government-shutdown-how-is-it-different-last-one\/\">Congress is preparing for a partial government shutdown. How is it different from the last one?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4433652\/trump-tim-walz-similar-wavelength-ice-minnesota\/\">Trump says he and Walz are on &#8216;similar wavelength&#8217; after phone call over ICE operations in Minnesota<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/entertainment\/4433645\/trump-skipping-super-bowl-bad-bunny-green-day-performance-im-anti-them\/\">Trump skipping Super Bowl over Bad Bunny and Green Day performances: &#8216;I&#8217;m anti-them&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>After being asked if President Donald Trump agrees with Noem&rsquo;s description of 37-year-old Pretti, killed by Border Patrol agents Saturday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, &ldquo;I have not heard the President characterize Mr. Pretti in that way.&rdquo; <\/p>\n<p>Joining Noem in labeling Good and Pretti &ldquo;domestic terrorists&rdquo; is White House official <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/stephen-miller\/\">Stephen Miller<\/a>, who caught flak from lawmakers for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/StephenM\/status\/2015127971485413805\">ascribing malicious intent<\/a> to Pretti&rsquo;s actions prior to his death.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Alex Pretti was an American hero, and Stephen Miller is a domestic terrorist. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Fwxr5DiAfn\">pic.twitter.com\/Fwxr5DiAfn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepMcGovern\/status\/2015597762516000933?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 26, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Pretti, an ICU nurse, carried a registered handgun during the incident and &ldquo;violently resisted&rdquo; law enforcement, according to the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/department-of-homeland-security\/\">Department of Homeland Security<\/a>. A Border Patrol agent, who allegedly feared for his own life and the lives of his fellow officers, then fatally shot the man.<\/p>\n<p>The DHS chief is using the anti-government violent extremist definition for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/domestic-terrorism\/\">domestic terrorism<\/a>, according to University of New Haven criminal justice professor Kenneth Gray.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This threat encompasses the potentially unlawful use or threat of force or violence in furtherance of ideological agendas, derived from anti-government or anti-authority sentiment, including opposition to perceived economic, social, or racial hierarchies, or perceived government overreach, negligence, or illegitimacy,&rdquo; the department says in a 2020 document on the definition of anti-government violent extremism, which qualifies as one of the many types of domestic terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche bluntly disagreed with Noem and Miller, refusing to make a judgment about whether Pretti was a domestic terrorist so as not to &ldquo;prejudice the fact.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think anybody thinks that they were comparing what happened on Saturday to the legal definition of domestic terrorism,&rdquo; Blanche said during an appearance on Fox &amp; Friends, directly contradicting Noem and Miller.<\/p>\n<p>Gray <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4411039\/what-to-know-ice-shooting-minneapolis-left-one-woman-dead\/\">previously told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em><\/a>  that an investigation will have to determine whether the victim&rsquo;s actions actually meet that definition. His comments were made shortly after this month&rsquo;s shooting that killed Good, but they also apply to the killing of Pretti.<\/p>\n<p>When reviewing such a case, a court will have to determine whether an alleged domestic terrorist&rsquo;s actions were meant to intimidate a civilian population, influence government policy, or affect government conduct based on the legal definition of domestic terrorism under the USA Patriot Act. Proof of intent to commit a dangerous or violent act in furtherance of an ideological goal is required in this instance.<\/p>\n<p>While it remains to be seen if Good and Pretti fit that legal definition, the Trump administration will likely argue they do meet the standard based on the events leading up to both shootings.<\/p>\n<p>In the initial incident earlier this month, Good was in her vehicle when ICE officers approached in an unmarked truck. At one point, she was told to exit the vehicle. Refusing to comply, she started driving forward while one officer was standing in front of the car. The officer was later found to have suffered internal bleeding after her vehicle hit his torso. The officer then discharged three shots, one of which penetrated the windshield and hit Good in the head, confirmed by the autopsy.<\/p>\n<p>In the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4432691\/what-to-know-fatal-shooting-border-patrol-minnesota\/\">latter situation<\/a>, Pretti was helping a person stand up after they were pushed to the ground by a Border Patrol agent. While recording the incident, the ICU nurse was pepper-sprayed and found himself surrounded by several agents who pinned him to the ground. An agent then allegedly pulled a handgun from Pretti&rsquo;s hip moments before multiple shots were fired.<\/p>\n<p>Video footage of the encounter paints a slightly different picture than the Trump administration&rsquo;s account of events.<\/p>\n<p>DHS posted a photo of the 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun on social media, making it sound like Pretti aimed the gun at federal law enforcement before he was shot. In support of this narrative, the department said it appeared he &ldquo;wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">At 9:05 AM CT, as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation in Minneapolis against an illegal alien wanted for violent assault, an individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, seen here.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The officers attempted to&hellip; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/5Y50mYONGH\">pic.twitter.com\/5Y50mYONGH<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DHSgov\/status\/2015115351797780500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>DHS has repeatedly said officers fired &ldquo;defensive&rdquo; shots in similar situations, including a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4419671\/federal-officer-shooting-venezuelan-minneapolis\/\">car chase<\/a> involving an illegal Venezuelan national earlier this month. The man was shot in the leg but survived.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Majority Leader <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/thom-tillis\/\">Thom Tillis<\/a> (R-NC) is leading Republican lawmakers in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenThomTillis\/status\/2015435983316189686?s=20\">calling for<\/a> a &ldquo;thorough and impartial&rdquo; investigation into the officer-involved shooting that killed Pretti.<\/p>\n<p>Leavitt <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/TocRadio\/status\/2015852489841467465?s=20\">announced<\/a> the FBI, DHS, and Border Patrol will all be conducting independent investigations into Pretti&rsquo;s murder. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Trump<\/a> told the <em><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/policy\/trump-says-administration-is-reviewing-everything-about-minneapolis-shooting-a501f48e?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdNiGttdbhN0T_G8iXjU6j6zuyl0IlW323oqsnfouN2_8eW3Lt8nO99TVerkhI%3D&amp;gaa_ts=6976b499&amp;gaa_sig=JgivKV4jqIEYm6NvF3IbSLja3aEXHA9HA1jU9-ZcSKoII5nkRFf__Ao-j9-J1bWx9A4u75TmvouvHpHKcO7abw%3D%3D\">Wall Street Journal<\/a><\/em>  that his administration is &ldquo;reviewing everything&rdquo; about the shooting and &ldquo;will come out with a determination&rdquo; eventually.<\/p>\n<p>In a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/115961647505369753\">Truth Social post<\/a>, Trump said he is dispatching White House border czar <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tom-homan\/\">Tom Homan<\/a> later Monday to report directly back to him about the situation.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4433160\/minneapolis-readies-more-protests-alex-pretti-killing-judges-debate-ending-ice-minnesota-operation\/\">MINNEAPOLIS READIES FOR MORE PROTESTS AFTER ALEX PRETTI KILLING AS TRUMP DISPATCHES TROUBLESHOOTER TOM HOMAN<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The agents involved in Saturday&rsquo;s fatal tumult were <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4432969\/border-patrol-agents-pretti-shooting-reassigned\/\">reassigned out of Minneapolis<\/a> to &ldquo;other locations,&rdquo; according to Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.<\/p>\n<p>As for Good&rsquo;s death, the federal government has declined to open a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fbi-agent-who-investigated-renee-goods-death-resigns-4\/\" title=\"... agent who investigated ...&#039;s death resigns\">criminal civil rights investigation<\/a> into that officer&rsquo;s actions. Instead, the federal investigation is reportedly focused more on Good&rsquo;s actions and her romantic partner. The inquiry has caused division within federal ranks, leading to resignations of at least one FBI agent and several prosecutors with the U.S. attorney&rsquo;s office in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do ICE shooting victims count as domestic terrorists?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2552879,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26024820341390.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[53464,34991,8364,49347,71960],"class_list":["post-2552878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-domestic-terrorism","tag-gun-violence","tag-ice","tag-immigration-enforcement","tag-legal-definitions"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/AP26024820341390.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2552878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2552878"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2552878\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2552882,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2552878\/revisions\/2552882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2552879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2552878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2552878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2552878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}