US prosecutors resign over handling of Renee Nicole Good’s killing by ICE

Roughly half a dozen federal prosecutors in Minnesota have resigned and several supervisors in the criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have given notice of their departures amid turmoil over the federal investigation into the killing of a woman by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, according to people familiar with the matter.

The resignations follow growing tensions over a decision by the Trump administration to block the state out of the investigation into the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot in the head by an immigration agent last week.

Lawyers in the Civil Rights Division, which generally investigates high-profile officer shootings, were also recently told that the division would not be involved at this stage in the probe, two people familiar with the matter said.

Among the departures in Minnesota is First Assistant US Attorney Joe Thompson, who had been leading the sprawling investigation and prosecution of fraud schemes in the state, two other people said.

At least four other prosecutors in the Minnesota US attorney’s office joined Thompson in resigning amid a period of tension in the office, the people said. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters.

The New York Times reported earlier that their exits stemmed from pressure on the prosecutors to investigate the widow of Good, and the Justice Department’s decision not to probe the shooter.