Minnesota’s Democratic leaders have held news conferences, joined vigils, and publicly condemned the Trump administration in the aftermath of Renee Good’s death — but a review by Fox News Digital points to a stark contrast in their responses to Minnesotans harmed or killed by illegal immigrants.
Governor Tim Walz posted “Rest in peace” on X earlier this week, along with a photo from a memorial for Good, who federal officials say was shot and killed after she struck an ICE agent with her car while attempting to interfere with immigration enforcement in Minneapolis. Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have since appeared at multiple public events criticizing the Trump administration and ICE operations, while sharing tributes to Good online.
However, Fox News found no similar public displays of sympathy or outrage from Walz, Frey, or Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan when Minnesotans lost their lives in incidents involving illegal immigrants. According to the outlet, in August 2024, Minnesota mother Victoria Eileen Harwell died in a car crash in north Minneapolis after being hit by an allegedly intoxicated Ecuadoran national, German Llangari Inga. ICE later reported that Hennepin County had twice released Inga despite immigration detainers.
Another tragedy occurred last year when 18-year-old Hallie Helgeson and her 19-year-old boyfriend, Brady Heiling, were killed in Wisconsin by a drunk driver, identified by DHS as a Honduran national in the country illegally. Helgeson’s obituary described her as a vibrant young woman devoted to her church and community, whose “warmth, kindness, [and] big smile” touched all who knew her.
In 2021, 55-year-old America Mafalda Thayer was brutally murdered and decapitated by her boyfriend, Cuban national Alexis Saborit-Viltres, after telling him she planned to end their relationship. A St. Paul woman was also seriously injured that same year when she was raped by Mexican national Rolando Lopez-Meneses, according to local reports.
“Governor Walz, Lt. Gov Flanagan and the rest of the Minnesota DFL leaders have forgotten what it means to be an American or a Minnesotan,” Adam Schwarze, former Navy SEAL and GOP U.S. Senate Candidate in Minnesota told Fox News Digital. “Where is the outrage for our innocent citizens killed by criminals? Where is their press conference, their candlelight vigil. Enough is enough. We need new leadership.”
Fox News Digital reportedly reached out to Walz, Frey, and Flanagan’s offices asking for examples of statements mourning victims of crimes caused by illegal immigrants but received no response.
Retired Minnesota State Patrol Lt. John Nagel, now running for Congress against Rep. Ilhan Omar, criticized state leaders for what he called “selective outrage.”
“Minnesota Democrats decide which victims matter based on politics and optics, not on equal application of the law,” he said. “When a tragedy fits their narrative, we get press conferences and performative vigils. When Minnesotans are killed in situations tied to their failed federal immigration policy, we hear almost nothing — no urgency, no accountability, just silence and deflection.”
ICE recently issued a list of “the worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants arrested in Minnesota, which included several convicted of murder and child rape. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin accused state officials of refusing to cooperate with ICE and releasing nearly 470 criminal aliens, telling Fox News Digital, Walz and Frey “are prioritizing politics over public safety.”