The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to singer Billie Eilish after she reshared posts on Instagram criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The posts referred to ICE as a "terrorist group" in the context of a recent fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement on January 9, asserting that Eilish had not seen footage corroborating DHS's position. McLaughlin stated the individual involved in the shooting was "impeding law enforcement and weaponized her vehicle in an attempt to kill or cause bodily harm to federal law enforcement." She shared a link to a video on X, purportedly from the officer involved, Jonathan Ross, stating he acted in self-defense due to fear for his own life and those of fellow officers.
This statement aligns with previous remarks from DHS, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance, all of whom have maintained that Ross acted in self-defense. On January 7, Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in her car during an ICE operation in Minnesota. DHS claims Good was attempting to "run over" the officer with her vehicle when she tried to drive away.
McLaughlin also defended ICE's protocols, stating, "ICE does not separate families," and that "parents are asked if they want to be removed with their children, or ICE will place the children with a safe person the parent designates." She linked "garbage rhetoric from the likes of Billie Eilish" to a reported "1,300% increase in assaults and 3,200% increase in vehicle rammings against our brave law enforcement," citing an internal investigation into such incidents.
Eilish had reshared multiple posts, including one describing ICE as a "federally funded and supported terrorist group" that is "tearing apart families, terrorizing citizens, and now murdering innocent people." Other shared posts called for the U.S. to "abolish ICE" and urged contacting congressional representatives to demand Ross's arrest and charging.
Beyond Eilish, other public figures and Minneapolis residents have also expressed strong reactions to Good's death and ICE's operations. Artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and Tyler, the Creator have previously criticized ICE raids. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly demanded that enforcement officers "get the fâk out of Minneapolis" on January 8, describing the incident as "an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed." President Trump reportedly commented on a video of the shooting, stating, "I think it's horrible to watch. No, I hate to see it."