'The fix is in' as DHS wrongly usurps power over new killing investigation: legal expert

A new DHS announcement that it will be investigating the latest agent-involved shooting, instead of the FBI, set off alarm bells for one legal expert.

MS NOW host Alex Witt read the statement on air on Saturday, saying, "I'm just getting something handed to me," before noting that it is a statement from DHS suggesting "that it will investigate the fatal shooting of a 37-year-old protester by its officers rather than the FBI."

"So they're gonna be investigating that which they already issued a summary about," she said. "It would seem like a closed book."

Ryan Goodman, a legal analyst and chaired professor at NYU Law, responded to that clip on social media.

"Looks like the fix is in at the federal level," he wrote on X Saturday. "DHS does not have any prosecutorial authority. This would have to be a criminal investigation - which is the FBI and DOJ's lane."

He then added, "DHS also already lied and CBP repeated the lies in stating their pre-investigation conclusions."

Looks like the fix is in at the federal level.

DHS does not have any prosecutorial authority.

This would have to be a criminal investigation - which is the FBI and DOJ's lane.

DHS also already lied and CBP repeated the lies in stating their pre-investigation conclusions. https://t.co/gE3SYrVuMo
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) January 24, 2026