By Jack Phillips

White House border czar Tom Homan defended Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid protests against the agency in the wake of the shooting death of a woman in Minneapolis last week, saying that the agent involved is now receiving death threats.

Last week, video footage that was posted online showed that a woman, later identified as Renee Good, appeared to be lurching her vehicle toward an ICE agent during a traffic stop in Minneapolis in an apparent attempt to flee. As he was hit, the agent opened fire, killing her, which sparked demonstrations in some major U.S. cities over the past weekend.

In an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw on Saturday, Homan said people need to wait for the investigation to finish.

“He’s been doxxed. People are threatening to kill him,” Homan said in the interview, referring to the agent. “He fears for him and his family. Again, let the investigation play out before you say you want to execute this man.”

When asked if the officer is upset about Good’s death, Homan said, “Of course he is.”

“I’ve never met an officer who had to use lethal force that felt good about it. It’s a terrible, terrible thing to go through.”

An anti-ICE demonstration turned violent in Minneapolis on Friday evening as rioters threw ice and rocks at officers, according to the city’s police chief, Brian O’Hara. Twenty-nine people were cited and released, he said.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that people who cause damage to property or put others in danger will be arrested. He faulted “agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds” for the violence.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on social media said that demonstrators should use “peaceful expression” and take action “in court” rather than use violent measures.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says its deployment of immigration officers in the Twin Cities is its biggest ever immigration enforcement operation. Officials in the administration, including Vice President JD Vance, have said the shooting was an act of self-defense, and that protesters had been using their vehicles to attack federal officers.

In comments last week, Vance said that he was “not happy that this woman lost her life,” but stressed she ignored ICE agents’ commands during a traffic stop and said she “viciously ran over the ICE officer.” The president has also said that the ICE officer acted in self-defense.

Meanwhile, Homan described the ICE operation and agents’ behavior as professional in a post issued over the weekend.

“ICE conducts targeted operations to enforce federal immigration laws that have existed for decades, and they do it with the utmost professionalism,” he wrote in a post on X. “They don’t choose who gets deported, the law and federal judges do. They didn’t pass the laws nor can they change them. If you don’t like the laws, take it up with Congress. That’s their constitutional duty…ours is enforcing them.”

Democrats in Congress are demanding a range of actions, from a full investigation into the woman’s death and policy changes to the defunding of ICE operations and the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“The situation that took place in Minnesota is a complete and total disgrace,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). “And in the next few days, we will be having conversations about a strong and forceful and appropriate response by House Democrats.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.