The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe is allowing a fundraising campaign tied to the potential legal defense of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot a civilian to remain online, despite company rules barring fundraisers connected to violent crimes and past enforcement actions against similar campaigns.

The fundraiser, titled “ICE OFFICER Jonathan Ross,” seeks at least $550,000 to support potential legal expenses for the ICE agent identified as having shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a mother of three and widow of a military veteran, during an encounter with immigration agents in Minneapolis.

The officer was first identified as Jonathan Ross, 43, by the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The GoFundMe campaign’s stated purpose—raising money for legal services following a killing—directly conflicts with GoFundMe’s terms of service, which specifically bars fundraisers that are intended to support the legal defense of people accused of financial or violent crimes.

GoFundMe has not publicly explained why the Ross fundraiser remains active despite its terms of service stating users agree not to “use the Service or Platform to raise funds” for the “the legal defense of financial and violent crimes, including those related to money laundering, murder, robbery, assault, battery, sex crimes or crimes against minors.”

Ross has not been formally charged with any crime. The shooting is being investigated exclusively by the FBI after federal authorities effectively blocked Minnesota investigators from participating, prompting the state attorney general and Hennepin County attorney to launch a parallel effort to collect evidence independently.

In an email, a GoFundMe spokesperson told WIRED on Sunday night that it was in the process of reviewing all fundraisers tied to the shooting. “During the review process, all funds remain safely held by our payment processors,” the spokesperson said. “GoFundMe’s Terms of Service prohibit fundraisers that raise money for the legal defense of anyone formally charged with a violent crime. Any campaigns that violate this policy will be removed.”

The company added that it was working directly with the organizer of the Ross fundraiser to “gather additional information.” The organizer is identified on the site as Clyde Emmons of Mount Forest, Michigan. WIRED could not immediately reach Emmons or confirm his identity.

On Sunday night, Emmons’ fundraiser stated that “funds will go to help pay for any legal services this officer needs.” That language was removed after WIRED’s inquiry and replaced by Monday morning with the phrase, “Funds will go to help him.”

GoFundMe did not respond to multiple follow up requests for comment, including questions as to whether it had advised the organizer to change the description to better comport with its rules.

Despite the changes, several slides in a carousel at the top of the Ross fundraising page—which remain active at time of writing—make the purpose of the fundraising explicitly clear: “Give to cover Jonathan’s legal defense” and “Officer Jonathan Ross’s legal defense fund pays attorney fees and court costs.”

GoFundMe’s inaction contrasts with its handling of earlier cases involving law enforcement officers and civilians killed during encounters with police.

In 2015, GoFundMe removed a Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police fundraiser for Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray, citing violations of its rules against supporting legal defenses in violent cases. That same year, the platform removed a campaign for a South Carolina officer charged in the fatal shooting of Walter Scott.

Said a company spokeswoman at the time of the Gray fundraiser: “GoFundMe cannot be used to benefit those who are charged with serious violations of the law. The campaign clearly stated that the money raised would be used to assist the officers with their legal fees, which is a direct violation of GoFundMe’s terms."

Good, 37, was gunned down during a January 7 encounter with ICE agents in Minneapolis. Video recorded by bystanders shows Good in a dark red SUV reversing as masked agents approach. One agent, identified in the press as Ross, is shown circling the vehicle with his cell phone raised, then stepping into position almost directly in front of the idling SUV before firing as it moves past him.

The video evidence sharply conflicts with public accounts offered by senior Trump administration officials, including DHS statements describing Good as a “domestic terrorist” who “weaponized” her vehicle, as well as President Donald Trump’s claim that “she ran him over.”

State officials said over the weekend that the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had been cut off from the crime scene and no longer had access to key evidence, including Good’s vehicle and witness interviews. Local prosecutors claimed that without access to the FBI’s case file, it may be impossible for the state to assess whether charges are warranted, even though the shooting is well documented, occurred in Hennepin County, and involves a Minnesota resident.

A separate fundraiser for Good’s widow and family has currently raised more than $1.5 million.

On Monday, billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott donated $45 million to The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that serves LGBTQ+ youth. The large gift comes just months after the Trump administration shut down counseling services for queer youth through the federally funded 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, for which the The Trevor Project administered services.

In a blog post Jaymes Black, CEO of The Trevor Project, called the donation “transformational,” describing Scott’s gift as the biggest single donation the charitable organization has ever received in its 27 years of operating. Scott previously donated $6 million to the nonprofit during the first Trump administration.

Scott, who divorced Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019, is a prolific philanthropist who has recently ramped up her charitable donations. In 2025, Scott gave over $7 billion to nonprofit organizations.

“At a time when many LGBTQ+ young people are facing heightened stigma, political hostility, and mental health challenges, MacKenzie Scott’s support sends a powerful message,” Black wrote. “LGBTQ+ young people matter, and the world is full of people fighting for their safety and well-being.”

According to a Trevor Project survey concerning LGBTQ+ youth mental health in the US, around 45 percent of LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24 have considered suicide. The organization aims to help those disproportionately at risk.

Following Trump’s election in 2024, the Trevor Project saw a 700 percent increase in calls, chats, and texts. It saw a 33 percent bump in outreach following the inauguration last year, and also sees upticks following events like last year’s ruling in the US v. Skrmetti case, which upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

Black sees Scott’s gift as “a powerful step toward building on our sustainable capacity” as the group works to expand and serve more LGBTQ+ youth around the globe and innovate to make sure services are reaching them when they are in need of help.

“Over the coming months, we will road-map a strategic and thoughtful investment plan focused on strengthening our core crisis services, improving long-term sustainability, and accelerating our progress toward a world where every LGBTQ+ young person knows they are loved and supported,” Black said in the blog post.

Scott’s other recent gifts to charitable organizations include multimillion-dollar donations to groups working on environmental protection and public education.