Lawyers for the family of Renee Good, the woman killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week, are weighing a civil claim against the agency, raising questions about what legal avenues exist for suing federal immigration officers.
FTCA pathway: Families can seek compensation under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which waives sovereign immunity for certain negligent or wrongful acts by federal employees, including wrongful‑death claims stemming from ICE enforcement actions.
Major hurdles: FTCA cases bar punitive damages, require a six‑month agency review before filing suit, and include exceptions for discretionary judgments, giving the government significant defenses, such as arguing an agent acted reasonably or in self‑defense.
Criminal avenues are rare: Federal and state prosecutors can bring charges against agents, but the standard is high, indictments are uncommon, and states must show the agent acted outside official duties or in a clearly unlawful manner.
Jan Wolfe has more here, including details of a U.S. Supreme Court precedent that could come into play.
