Dave Matthews Condemns ICE and Trump Officials Following Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — In a passionate video posted on his birthday Friday, rock legend Dave Matthews delivered a scathing rebuke of the Trump administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier this week. Matthews, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, called the officials involved “revolting” and expressed deep frustration with the government’s handling of immigration enforcement and related military operations abroad.
“F*ck them. They are revolting,” Matthews said, condemning the use of taxpayer dollars to fund ICE agents he described as “masked thugs” terrorizing communities and tearing families apart. “We should be taking care of each other. We should be minding each other. We should be housing the homeless. We shouldn’t be, you know, throwing people to the ground.”
The incident that sparked Matthews’ fiery statement involved Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three, who was shot and killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis. Multiple videos circulating online show Good partially blocking a road and interacting with officers before the shooting. One video, reportedly from the officer’s perspective, captures Good telling him, “It’s fine, dude, I’m not mad at you,” as she backs up her vehicle and then moves forward moments before Ross fired multiple shots.
Despite the video evidence, the Trump administration has characterized the shooting as self-defense. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem labeled Good’s actions as “an act of domestic terrorism,” accusing her of weaponizing her car to attack the officer. Vice President JD Vance echoed this narrative, calling Good “a deranged leftist” and alleging she was part of a broader network aimed at obstructing ICE operations.
Matthews vehemently disputed these claims, describing Good’s death as a cold-blooded murder. “It’s mind-boggling, and it’s deeply upsetting to me and to so many people, and we can’t just let it slide,” he said. He directed harsh criticism at senior administration figures, including Noem, former senior advisor Stephen Miller, and others, branding them “deeply dishonest people” and “cowardly.”
His denunciation extended to the administration’s broader policies, including military interventions such as the recent operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, as well as involvement in the war in Gaza. Matthews framed these actions as part of a pattern of aggressive and unjust government conduct.
“To Trump, to Kristi Noem, to Stephen Miller, to Pete Hegseth, to [Kash] Patel to [Pam] Bondi to all of them, just deeply, deeply dishonest people. Just cowardly, shameful, dishonest people,” Matthews said. “Fuck them. They are revolting.”
Matthews concluded by expressing profound shame over the government’s treatment of both immigrant communities and U.S. citizens. “Fuck ICE. Yeah. If that language offends you … Come on. We all heard it before. I hope you know where my heart is,” he said. “I don’t like these monsters that are running the show right now. They are ungrateful, greedy monsters. I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.”
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has faced increasing scrutiny over its enforcement tactics and use of force, with civil rights groups calling for reforms. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has defended its officers’ actions as lawful and necessary for national security.
Meanwhile, advocacy organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union have condemned the shooting and called for independent investigations into the use of lethal force by immigration agents. Data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection highlights the ongoing challenges faced by immigration enforcement agencies balancing security and human rights.
As the debate intensifies, Matthews’ outspoken remarks underscore the growing public demand for accountability and humane treatment within immigration policy and enforcement.
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