A supervisor’s departure from the FBI found corporate media reporting bureau “pressure” to curb an angled investigation of the death of an anti-ICE activist.
Since the use of lethal force had been employed by a federal immigration officer resulting in the death of Renee Good, an activist alleged to have been obstructing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota, attempts to demonize the officer and his peers have been unrelenting, Now, multiple outlets have reported that an acting supervisor from the FBI’s Minneapolis field office resigned after facing “pressure” to drop an attempted civil rights inquiry into the officer.
“The agent, Tracee Mergen, left her job as a supervisor in the F.B.I.’s Minneapolis field office after bureau leadership in Washington pressured her to discontinue a civil rights inquiry into the immigration officer, Jonathan Ross,” The New York Times reported, citing one source “familiar with the matter” before suggesting, “Such inquiries are a common investigative step in similar shootings.”
Similarly, while the report had described Good, said to have used her vehicle as a weapon against the officer, as “an unarmed mother,” CBS News had reported, according to a source, that the Public Corruption Squad acting supervisor’s departure was “in part due to the pressure on her to reclassify/discontinue the (Good) investigation.”
As it happened, Mergen was also involved in the probe of fraud in Minnesota.
Prior to the latest reports, the FBI Rapid Response account on X had shot down Times chief White House correspondent and MS Now analyst Peter Baker’s claims that an initial review had “determined sufficient grounds existed to open a civil rights probe.”
“This is false — the decisions referenced here were not made by the FBI. The FBI still continues to pursue evidence in this case with our federal partners, investigating the shooting incident as well as the ongoing violent criminal actors and their funding sources,” wrote the account. “The facts are the initiator, and the facts do not support civil rights investigation.”
This is false – the decisions referenced here were not made by the FBI.
The FBI still continues to pursue evidence in this case with our federal partners, investigating the shooting incident as well as the ongoing violent criminal actors and their funding sources.
The facts… https://t.co/uOilpKgrLr
— FBI Rapid Response (@FBI_Response) January 19, 2026
Likewise, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche had insisted on the most recent installment of Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” that the Justice Department would not “bow to pressure” as he told host Shannon Bream, “The DOJ, our civil rights unit, we don’t just go out and investigate every time an officer is forced to defend himself against somebody or putting his life in danger. We never do. That has nothing to do with what happened in Minneapolis.”
“The Department of Justice doesn’t just stand up and investigate because some congressman thinks we should,” he went on, “because some governor thinks that we should. We investigate when it is appropriate to investigate, and that is not the case here.”
.@DAGToddBlanche: “The DOJ, our Civil Rights unit, we don’t just go out and investigate every time an officer is forced to defend himself against somebody putting his life in danger. We never do… So no, we are not investigating.” pic.twitter.com/63foACgkYI
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 18, 2026
Regarding the most recent reporting, a statement from the FBI to The Hill noted, “It is FBI policy not to comment on personnel matters.”
Previously, the Times had reported that six federal prosecutors working in Minnesota had resigned amid a DOJ “push to investigate the widow of a woman killed by an ICE agent and the department’s reluctance to investigate the shooter.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi responded to the claim by asserting, “We had six prosecutors who suddenly decided they didn’t want to support the men and women in ICE. One of them was busy doing a photo shoot with The New York Times while ICE was out there risking their lives.”
“So they came, they said, we want to resign, but we want to use our annual leave up until April, meaning they wanted the taxpayers to pay for them to go on vacation because they decided they didn’t want to support law enforcement,” added Bondi.
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Hall of Fame running back blasts ‘corrupt’ NFL over Bad Bunny halftime show - February 7, 2026
- ‘Janitor-level’: US arrests Benghazi terror suspect — ex-CIA targeter Sarah Adams not impressed - February 7, 2026
- ‘Grow a pair!’ Tim Walz-enabled anti-ICE mob turns on him, demands ‘legalization for all’ - February 7, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.