No One Should Have Absolute Immunity—Not Even ICE Agents
[This post is also being sent as a letter to my congressional representatives. If you agree with this message, I encourage you to contact yours as well.]
I watched the video of Renee Nicole Good being shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
Like many law enforcement encounters, there were multiple masked men yelling conflicting orders. One told her to "get the f--- out of the way." Another told her to get out of her car. An officer tried to open her car door. She tried to drive away. A nearby officer shot her in the face.
She is dead.
And according to Vice President JD Vance, the officer who killed her has "absolute immunity."
What "Absolute Immunity" Means
Absolute immunity means the officer cannot be held accountable—civilly or criminally—for his actions.
It means Renee Nicole Good's family cannot sue for wrongful death.
It means there will be no trial, no investigation that matters, no consequence.
It means the officer can kill someone while performing his duties and face no legal repercussions whatsoever.
In what world is this acceptable?
This Is Not What America Was Founded On
The United States was established on a foundational principle: no one is above the law.
We rejected the divine right of kings. We wrote a Constitution that explicitly limits government power. We created three branches of government specifically to check each other's authority.
The First Amendment guarantees our right "to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
That means when the government harms us, we have the right to seek justice. To hold officials accountable. To demand redress.
Absolute immunity destroys that right.
If government agents can act with absolute immunity, then:
- They are above the law
- Citizens have no recourse when harmed
- The right to petition for redress becomes meaningless
- We have created a class of people who can commit violence without consequence
That is tyranny, not democracy.
"Just Following Orders" Is Not a Defense
Vice President Vance said that the officer was, "only doing his job."
After World War II, the Nuremberg Trials established a principle that should apply universally:
"I was just following orders" is not a legitimate defense for committing atrocities.
Nazi officers claimed they were doing their jobs, following protocol, acting under government authority.
The world rejected that defense.
We established that individuals are responsible for their actions, even when acting under government orders. That duty to humanity supersedes duty to authority.
If that standard applied to Nazi officers, it must apply to American law enforcement.
"He was doing his job" cannot be sufficient justification for killing a civilian.
"He was following protocol" cannot shield someone from accountability for taking a life.
If the Nuremberg standard matters, then no government agent should have absolute immunity.
The Erosion We've Already Allowed
There is already an immunity princple that has been far too widely accepted or not protested: Qualified immunity.
Qualified immunity already protects law enforcement officers unless they violate "clearly established" rights—meaning unless there's a prior case with nearly identical facts, the officer is shielded from liability.
This creates an impossible loop:
- Victims can't get justice because there's no prior case
- No prior case can be established because victims can't get justice
- Accountability becomes nearly impossible
Qualified immunity has already eroded the right to redress grievances.
Absolute immunity eliminates it entirely.
Why This Matters for Everyone
You might think: "I'm not doing anything illegal. This doesn't affect me."
But Renee Nicole Good wasn't doing anything that warranted death either.
She received conflicting orders. She panicked. She tried to leave.
And she was killed for it.
When government agents have absolute immunity:
- Mistakes become fatal without consequence
- Panic becomes a death sentence
- Confusion is met with violence
- And there is no justice for victims or their families
This affects everyone.
Because any of us could be in a situation where:
- Officers give conflicting orders
- We don't respond quickly enough
- We misunderstand what's being demanded
- We make the wrong move
And if those officers have absolute immunity, we have no recourse.
What I'm Asking For
I am writing to my congressional representatives with this message:
No government official should have absolute immunity.
Not ICE agents. Not police officers. Not federal agents. Not anyone.
Accountability is not optional in a democracy.
If an agent acts lawfully and within proper protocol, they will be vindicated through investigation and judicial process.
If an agent violates someone's rights, kills someone unnecessarily, or acts outside the scope of their authority, they must be held accountable.
Absolute immunity prevents that accountability from ever happening.
Specific Actions I'm Requesting
1. Reject any policy, executive order, or legal interpretation that grants absolute immunity to law enforcement or immigration enforcement agents.
Absolute immunity is incompatible with constitutional principles and must not be normalized.
2. Support legislation that limits qualified immunity and ensures accountability for law enforcement.
Qualified immunity has already gone too far. It should be narrowed significantly or eliminated entirely. Officers who violate rights should face consequences.
3. Demand a full, independent investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good.
An officer shooting a civilian in the face warrants more than an internal review. There must be external oversight and accountability.
4. Affirm that "following orders" or "doing my job" is not sufficient justification for taking a life.
The Nuremberg standard must apply: individuals are responsible for their actions, even under government authority.
5. Protect the constitutional right to petition government for redress of grievances.
This right is meaningless if government agents can harm citizens with absolute immunity. If we value the Constitution, we must protect this right.
Why I Care About This
I spent the first thirty-some years of my life in a system where leaders claimed authority without accountability.
Where questioning leadership was framed as rebellion.
Where harm caused by those in authority was excused because they were "called of God" or "following the handbook."
Where victims were told to forgive, move on, and trust the process—while leaders faced no real consequences.
I left that system because authority without accountability is abuse.
And now I'm watching the same pattern play out at the government level:
- Authority figures claim immunity from consequence
- Victims are denied justice
- "They were doing their job" becomes justification for harm
- The system protects itself rather than those it's supposed to serve
I will not stay silent about this.
Not in religious systems. Not in government systems.
No one should be above accountability. Not prophets. Not presidents. Not ICE agents.
The Principle That Matters
This isn't about whether you support immigration enforcement. This isn't about whether you think ICE should exist.
This is about a foundational principle: no one is above the law.
If you believe in the Constitution, you must reject absolute immunity.
If you believe in justice, you must demand accountability.
If you believe in democracy, you must oppose systems that shield government agents from consequence.
Absolute immunity is tyranny dressed as policy.
And we must reject it.
What You Can Do
1. Contact your representatives.
Tell them you oppose absolute immunity for any government official. Demand accountability for law enforcement. Insist on protecting the right to petition for redress of grievances.
2. Share this message.
The more people understand what absolute immunity means, the harder it becomes to normalize it.
3. Support organizations working on police accountability and qualified immunity reform.
This isn't a problem that will be solved by one letter or one post. It requires sustained pressure and advocacy.
4. Remember Renee Nicole Good.
She was a person. She had a family. She was a poet. She was loved.
She is dead because an officer shot her in the face.
And according to the Vice President, that officer should face no consequences.
That should enrage everyone who believes in justice.
My Letter to Congress
[The following is the letter I'm sending to my congressional representatives. Feel free to adapt it for your own use.]
Dear [Representative/Senator],
I am writing to express my strong opposition to the concept of "absolute immunity" for government agents, particularly in light of Vice President JD Vance's recent statement that an ICE agent involved in the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good has absolute immunity.
Absolute immunity is fundamentally incompatible with American constitutional principles.
The right to petition the government for redress of grievances, guaranteed by the First Amendment, becomes meaningless if government agents can harm citizens without any possibility of accountability. This right is foundational to our democracy—it is one of the reasons we rejected monarchical rule and established a government of laws, not of individuals above the law.
The principle established at Nuremberg—that "following orders" is not a defense for atrocities—must apply universally. If it applied to Nazi officers, it must apply to American law enforcement. "He was doing his job" cannot be sufficient justification for killing a civilian without consequence.
I am requesting the following actions:
Reject any policy, executive order, or legal interpretation granting absolute immunity to law enforcement or immigration enforcement agents. This principle has no place in a democracy and must not be normalized.
Support legislation limiting qualified immunity and ensuring accountability for law enforcement. Qualified immunity has already eroded accountability too far. It should be significantly narrowed or eliminated.
Demand a full, independent investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good. An officer shooting a civilian warrants more than internal review—there must be external oversight and real accountability.
Affirm that individuals are responsible for their actions, even when acting under government authority. The Nuremberg standard matters, and it must apply to all government agents.
Protect the constitutional right to petition government for redress of grievances. If government agents have absolute immunity, this right becomes an empty promise.
I am your constituent, and I am asking you to stand for accountability, justice, and constitutional principles.
No one should be above the law—not ICE agents, not police officers, not anyone in government.
If you believe in the Constitution, you must reject absolute immunity.
I look forward to your response on where you stand on this issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Contact Information]
The Standard We Must Hold
Renee Nicole Good is dead.
Her family will never see her again.
And the man who shot her, according to the Vice President, should face no consequences.
If that doesn't outrage you, I don't know what will.
No one should have absolute immunity.
Not prophets who abuse their authority.
Not politicians who violate the Constitution.
Not law enforcement who kill civilians.
No one.
Because the moment we accept that some people are above accountability, we've abandoned the principles that make democracy possible.
And I, for one, am not willing to do that.
Not anymore.
Not ever again.