Leaders of the Libertarian Party of Minnesota have issued joint statements following a fatal shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis earlier this week, with both the party’s chair and vice chair criticizing federal involvement in the state and calling for restraint in the face of rising tensions.
Both statements were published January 7, with the first issued by Vice Chair Nick Dugger and the second soon after by Chair Rebecca Whiting. They followed a fatal encounter earlier that day in which ICE agents opened fire on a woman in a vehicle, later identified as Renee Nicole Good, in South Minneapolis during a federal enforcement operation. Video footage of the incident has since circulated in local media and online, and federal authorities have defended the shooting as an act of self-defense. Protests in the city and beyond began shortly afterward.
In his statement, Dugger described Minnesota as “very quickly devolving into a failed state,” which he defined as “a crumbling tyrannical government in its death throes,” and argued that the situation reflects broader national problems. He added that he reviewed multiple publicly available videos of the incident, which led him to question whether the use of lethal force was justified.
Regarding footage that has been circulating since the incident, Dugger said he did not observe evidence indicating the agent faced an immediate threat of serious bodily harm, while acknowledging that additional information could yet change his assessment. He still condemned the shooting as “morally unjustified,” regardless of whether it is later determined to have been legally permissible.
Dugger also criticized the presence of federal agents in Minnesota in a general sense, arguing that state-level issues should be addressed by Minnesotans rather than federal authorities. He added that many of the state’s problems stem from corrupt political leadership and rising polarization, calling for de-escalation and urging residents to instead prioritize peace and critical thinking.
“I don’t know what happens next, or how this will escalate, but I know that we are all Minnesotans before we are Americans, and we all need to figure this out,” Dugger wrote. “If we don’t, this state is falling apart in realtime, and I’m not sure how much longer it can survive on this trajectory.”
Whiting, in a separate statement, similarly faulted the deployment of ICE agents in Minneapolis for what occurred. She said the situation was a foreseeable outcome of increased federal enforcement activity in the city and argued that it could have been entirely avoided had ICE agents remained outside the state.
“Yes, there are problems in Minnesota with fraud and corruption, but Minnesota has the responsibility of taking care of Minnesota problems,” Whiting wrote. “No one gets a free pass just because they wear a badge, and the federal government has no jurisdiction in Minnesota.”
Whiting also cautioned against the potential for political exploitation of the shooting, urging restraint as facts gradually continue to emerge. She made a plea for “clear heads,” encouraging accountability and a space for grief in response to mob responses. She closed her statement by calling for the officers involved to be brought to justice and reiterated her support for abolishing ICE entirely.
Why did the Chair and Vice Chair put out separate statements? Is there a problem with the state party? It would look better if the organization spoke with one official voice.