JD Vance Declares ICE Agent Involved in Fatal Shooting Has ‘Absolute Immunity’

Vice President JD Vance wrongly claimed Thursday that the ICE agent who shot and killed Minneapolis poet and mother Renee Good is protected by “absolute immunity.”

Vance’s assertion came during Thursday’s White House press conference when a reporter asked about the FBI cutting Minnesota officials out of the investigation.

“The head of Minnesota’s investigation agencies says the U.S. Attorney’s Office has essentially cut off the state investigation agencies’ access to the investigation,” the reporter said. “What is the precedent for that, and why shouldn’t the Minnesota officials on the ground have access to evidence to work on this investigation?”

Vance answered, “The precedent is very simple: You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action — that’s a federal issue. He is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job.”

Vance continued:

The idea that Tim Walz and a bunch of radicals are going to go after, and make this guy’s life miserable because he was doing the job that he was asked to do, is preposterous. The unprecedented thing is the idea that a local official can now actually prosecute a federal official with absolute immunity. I’ve never seen anything like that. It would get tossed out by a judge, so what I would like Minnesota to focus on is the real issue that they are encouraging people, many have also officials are encouraging people to commit violence against I.C.E. officials. It’s ridiculous and has to stop.

ICE officers have “Supremacy Clause immunity” that protects them from state criminal prosecution when they’re carrying out their official duties, provided their actions are “necessary and proper” — but they do not have “absolute immunity.”

According to the State Democracy Research Initiative, the Supremacy Clause “only applies when federal officials are reasonably acting within the bounds of their lawful federal duties. When federal officials act beyond the scope of their duties, violate federal law, or behave in an egregious or unwarranted manner, state prosecutions can move forward.”

Additionally, because the issue of whether the ICE officer who shot Good was justified has not yet been evaluated in court, it has not yet been determined to have been properly within the scope of his duties and otherwise a legal use of deadly force, so any declarations of “immunity” are premature.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.

Sarah Rumpf contributed to this report.