Late-night television hosts in the United States have united in outrage following the fatal shooting of a Minnesota woman by a federal immigration agent, condemning both the incident and what they describe as a subsequent "torrent of untruths" from the Trump administration.
A 'Senseless Yet Entirely Predictable Tragedy'
Stephen Colbert opened his Thursday night broadcast on a sombre note, addressing the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in Minneapolis. An agent from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shot Good on Wednesday morning as she sat in her car.
"It's a senseless yet entirely predictable tragedy," Colbert told his audience, extending condolences to Good's family and community. He referenced widely seen witness videos which appear to show Good's vehicle turning away from the officer before he fired shots into the side of her Honda Pilot.
"It sure looks like a federal agent gunned down an American citizen without cause in front of witnesses on a city street," Colbert stated. "But the administration is telling you that you didn't see that."
He highlighted that officials immediately branded the event an "act of domestic terrorism" before any investigation, insisting the public should "believe them and not your eyes." Colbert noted grimly that this was the ninth ICE-involved shooting since September, suggesting a disturbing pattern rather than an isolated event.
Administration Accused of Lying 'From the Jump'
On Late Night, Seth Meyers connected the shooting and the official response to President Trump's broader immigration promises. Meyers argued that Trump had lied "from the jump" during the 2024 campaign about focusing deportation efforts solely on violent criminals.
"Instead, they've blanketed the country with federal agents, disrupting neighborhoods," Meyers said, playing footage of ICE agents at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis using pepper spray on students. He noted that more than 170 US citizens had been caught in ICE operations and that most detained migrants have no criminal record.
Meyers specifically challenged statements from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who claimed Good had "attacked" agents and attempted to run them over. "That's a blatant lie contradicted by the video evidence," he retorted.
"A 37-year-old mother in a Honda Pilot was shot dead on a residential street, and they're calling her a terrorist," Meyers concluded solemnly. "When they do that, they are also telling us who they are."
A Call to Reject Official Narrative
Jimmy Kimmel framed the issue as a fundamental challenge to shared reality. "What do you do when something terrible happens and a big group of people, including those who are running our country, tells you it didn't?" he asked.
He urged viewers to watch the footage for themselves, lamenting the loss of a "baseline of decency" and criticising the effort to portray a mother on the school run as part of a "leftwing terror effort."
Kimmel dismissed Secretary Noem's claim that the ICE officer was "following his training" by firing through the windshield. "How stupid do you think we are? That is not just an insult to Renee Good. That's an insult to every law enforcement officer everywhere," he argued, calling for a proper apology and investigation.
The FBI has now assumed full control of the probe, blocking Minnesota officials from evidence. For Colbert, this sent a chilling message: "Only they determine the truth, and when their forces come to your city, obey or die."
He ended with a direct plea to the public: "Peacefully, and non-violently, please let your leaders know you don't want that."
