In a significant development this week, several career prosecutors within the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division announced their resignations shortly after it was revealed that there would be no civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by a federal immigration agent. Sources familiar with the situation indicate that at least six prosecutors, most of whom hold supervisory positions within the division's criminal section, are stepping down from their roles.
The announcement regarding their resignation was made during a staff meeting on Monday, as reported by CBS News. This decision came on the heels of a report detailing that career prosecutors had volunteered to relinquish their existing work to assist in investigating the Minneapolis shooting. However, they were informed that a criminal civil rights investigation would not take place.
The federal immigration officer involved in the shooting has been identified as Jonathan Ross. According to a source from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Ross had previously encountered danger when he was dragged by a car while attempting to arrest an individual in Bloomington, Minnesota, six months prior to the incident involving the shooting of the woman, named Good.
Initially, the Justice Department considered approaching the case as a color of law civil rights investigation, which would assess the excessive use of force. However, sources revealed that the department later reversed its position, deciding instead to treat the incident as an assault on a federal officer, framing Ross as the victim rather than Good. CBS News has yet to ascertain who made this pivotal decision.
A Justice Department official confirmed to CBS that the leadership within the Civil Rights Division's criminal section had indicated their intent to retire early, asserting that discussions about retirement had been ongoing long before the events in Minneapolis. The official further dismissed any contrary claims as false.
Despite this official stance, multiple sources informed CBS that while most resigning prosecutors are opting for early retirement, the timing of the events in Minneapolis significantly influenced their decision to announce their resignations this week.
Video footage from the incident shows Ross firing three shots at Good's vehicle as it began to move away. The footage raises concerns, as it appears that the officers did not take immediate steps to provide emergency medical care to Good following the shooting. Another video from the scene depicted officers preventing a man, who identified himself as a doctor, from reaching Good.
Senior officials in the Trump administration, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have publicly suggested that Good was attempting to assault Ross with her vehicle. However, legal experts argue that video evidence indicates the car was turning away from Ross, which could justify a civil rights investigation into the shooting. Julius Nam, a former federal civil rights prosecutor in Los Angeles, stated that the existing evidence warrants a criminal inquiry to ascertain whether Good's rights were violated under color of law.
The Civil Rights Division has been experiencing a mass exodus of staff since last year, following significant shifts in its mission aimed at protecting vulnerable populations. Until recently, the criminal section had retained more attorneys compared to other divisions, which collectively lost about 75% of their staff in 2025. The recent resignations, including that of the section's chief, were driven not only by the Minneapolis incident but also by broader frustrations regarding the handling of various cases by political leaders within the division.
For instance, there were instances where political leadership intervened in cases involving civil rights violations, such as the sentencing of a former Louisville police officer convicted of violating Breonna Taylor's civil rights. The new prosecutor assigned to the case sought only a one-day prison sentence, although the judge ultimately imposed a 33-month sentence. Additionally, in November, the division unexpectedly filed a motion to dismiss a case against two officials from a local sheriff's office accused of excessive force and misconduct.
Prosecutors in the Civil Rights Division are responsible for tackling serious offenses, including hate crimes and cases involving law enforcement misconduct like excessive force and false arrests. NAACP President Derrick Johnson emphasized the importance of impartial investigations into visible incidents such as the Minneapolis shooting, questioning how many other cases remain unreported or obscured by an administration intent on silencing dissent.
Although U.S. Attorney's offices can conduct their own investigations into excessive force incidents, the Minneapolis shooting is likely to be classified as a case of national significance under Justice Department guidelines due to its fatal outcome. In such cases, the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division is expected to collaborate with the local U.S. Attorney's office, according to the Justice Manual.
One of the most notable civil rights prosecutions in recent years from this division occurred in Minneapolis, following the murder of George Floyd by former police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020, highlighting the ongoing relevance and urgency of civil rights investigations in the U.S.