Last week, an ICE agent in Minneapolis fatally shot Renee Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three. Ms. Good was in her vehicle protesting an ICE enforcement action in her city. Most people who have seen the various videos (including me) view the killing as completely unjustified or--at a minimum--believe that the incident requires a fair investigation to determine exactly what happened. Unfortunately, that did not stop President Trump and his team from quickly labeling Ms. Good a domestic terrorist and professional agitator, who the ICE agent shot in self defense.

The killing and the Administration's callous response have sparked mass protests in Minnesota and throughout the United States.

It's difficult to know what to say about this terrible shooting and the subsequent attacks on Ms. Good, but for me, the incident fits a familiar pattern. The Trump Administration lies about anyone it does not like, and then uses those lies to justify harming that person. The difference here is that the harm came first and the lies came afterward. Also, the video evidence allows us to see for ourselves how the Administration is mischaracterizing events.

As an immigration lawyer, I've seen a similar pattern play out time and again with my clients. Mr. Trump and his allies demonize non-citizens with lies and half-truths, and then create policies based on those lies that harm the non-citizens, their families, and their communities. The Administration employs these lies strategically and tactically.

Strategically, the Trump Administration has described migrants as criminals, terrorists, and welfare cheats. "They" are accused of trying to replace "us." Foreigners are invading our country, threatening our safety, and undermining our culture and values. These accusations bear little resemblance to reality and are not supported by credible evidence. Nevertheless, like the blood libels of old, these lies serve as justification for policies that harm vulnerable people. The language used by the Administration paints a picture of our country in an existential struggle, where ICE agents have a "sacred duty" to "protect the homeland" by repelling "foreign invaders." It is the language of war.

Contrast this with what lawyers like me see every day: family members crying about a loved one's detention, children who are traumatized and confused when a parent is snatched away, people who have lost a breadwinner and have no other means of support, students afraid to go to school. Of the cases I've seen, it's rare to hear about a detained migrant with a criminal record, and if there is a conviction, it's often for something minor and long ago; the type of crime that would have been expunged and forgotten if the person were a U.S. citizen. My anecdotal experience aligns with the data, which shows that 73% of people detained by ICE have no criminal convictions, and only 5% have violent convictions (people with serious convictions have been arrested and deported under every Administration).

The Trump Administration is also lying for tactical purposes. They are denying asylum based on safe third country agreements when they know that the third countries are not actually safe and will not accept many of our deportees anyway. The State Department has white washed its human rights reports to make it appear that dangerous countries are safe, making it more difficult for asylum seekers to demonstrate a fear of persecution. And (among other things) USCIS has restricted work permits and blocked people from status in the U.S. based on supposed security concerns, though the agency has not explained how these restrictions will improve security.

The torrent of lies from the Administration has been used again and again to justify terrible harm to asylum seekers and other non-citizens. And it is sadly unsurprising that Administration officials would deploy more lies to absolve ICE in the killing of Renee Good.


Ms. Good's death coincided with the time in the Jewish liturgical cycle when we started reading the Book of Exodus. The story begins with the king of Egypt angry that the Hebrews in his domain have become too numerous. He orders the midwives to examine each new baby: "if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live." The midwives feared G-d and did not do as the king ordered. They let the boys live. When the king inquired why they defied him, the midwives said that the Hebrew mothers were "vigorous" and gave birth before the midwives arrived. This sounds like a flimsy excuse, but it gave the midwives some cover and helped them avoid the king's wrath.

The import of the story is that all of us have a role to play in bending the arc of history towards Justice. Like the midwives, Renee Good stood up against a powerful regime and did her part to protect her neighbors. Unlike the midwives, Ms. Good was killed for having the temerity to question the powers-that-be.

In the Jewish tradition, when someone dies, we pray that their memory will be a blessing. I pray that Renee Good's memory will be a blessing for our nation, and that her tragic end will galvanize us to work for a better future, where the lies, violence, and cruelty of our government officials are replaced with truth, compassion, and basic human decency.

Originally posted on the Asylumist: www.Asylumist.com