Renee Nicole Good’s death has sparked protests in cities large and small across the United States, and protests are expected to continue throughout the weekend.
Protests against ICE after ICE officer shot in Minneapolis
Protests against President Donald Trump and his wave of immigration enforcement have swept through Minneapolis over the ICE shooting of Renee Good.
MINNEAPOLIS – Native American dancers performed in traditional costumes in a snow-covered park. An estimated 3,000 demonstrators shouted their frustrations at immigration officials, and the smell of incense hung in the air.
Across Ohio, demonstrators held signs that read “Abolish ICE” and shouted as they were battered by the rain.
In Coachella, California, marchers waved signs, chanted in English and Spanish, and danced to music played from portable speakers. Drivers passing by honked their horns and cheered.
Protests, called by the mayor of Minneapolis and others, took place across the country on Saturday, January 10th, but remained largely peaceful, although the number of participants was smaller than last year’s “No Kings” protests. Further demonstrations are expected on January 11th.
This weekend’s efforts were spurred by the January 7 shooting death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by an immigration officer.
That morning, Goode drove to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement site near her home in Minneapolis. Video suggested she was leaving the scene when she was shot, but Vice President J.D. Vance and Homeland Security officials accused her of using her car as a weapon and that agents fired in self-defense.
The controversy immediately sparked protests and vigils in cities large and small across the country, with tens of thousands of Americans participating so far.
Kelly Vogel, who lives on the outskirts of the Twin Cities, said she wants ICE to leave her area. Despite subzero temperatures, there was a large turnout, he said, because “Minnesota people are strong… They have a strong sense of right and wrong.”
Will they stand up for their beliefs or obstruct important enforcement?
The shooting, which was captured on video by a witness, heightened political and community tensions over the Trump administration’s escalating approach to immigration across the country, particularly in Democratic-led cities.
Good’s wife, Rebecca, released a statement describing her partner as a devout Christian who “stopped to support his neighbor” before he was shot. “We had whistles. They had guns,” Rebecca Good said.
couple‘s The neighborhood has been a prime target for immigrant arrests over the past five weeks. Cellphone video released on January 9 shows two women talking with officers while blocking part of the road with their cars.
Residents of targeted blue cities are increasingly following ICE vehicles, honking their horns and blowing whistles to alert neighbors that immigration enforcement is underway.
Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, told conservative broadcaster Newsmax on January 9 that conflicts will continue as long as Americans continue to challenge immigration authorities.
“We need some improvement in the fact that people need to stop demonstrating, stop yelling at law enforcement, stop challenging law enforcement, and start being civil.” Until we do that, I think it’s going to stay that way, and people who are staying home and doing the right thing need to be protected. ”
ICE ramped up enforcement in Minneapolis before the shooting
An estimated 3,000 Minnesotans gathered for an ICE protest scheduled for 1 p.m. on January 10 at Powderhorn Park in south Minneapolis. Good was shot and killed several blocks away from the park.
Many of the protesters in Minneapolis marched out of the park at 1:30 p.m. and headed west down East Lake Street, chanting “F-ICE, ICE out!” “I refuse to believe the lies they are spreading about us, we refuse to concede to their intimidation tactics, and we refuse to concede our people’s power,” said organizer Dae Woo Do.
ICE began targeting Minnesota late last year after Republican leaders drew attention to an ongoing federal fraud investigation involving many local Somali-Americans. On January 4, the deployment to the Minneapolis area expanded to approximately 2,000 agents. “When you’re winning the fight, you don’t need to call for backup,” Doe said. “They are losing this battle.”
Officials told a Fox News correspondent that they have arrested 18 criminals in Minnesota convicted of crimes such as rape and murder since the latest crackdown began.
Some demonstrators in Minneapolis stopped to pay their respects at the spot on Portland Avenue where Good died before marching.
Nori Donai and Len Klinefelter live on the block and participated in the protest. “Even though we’re in the thick of it, it’s always important to go to organized events and show up,” Donai said. Klinefelter said it felt “surreal” to have a shooting happen in front of her home. “We’re very aware of everything that’s going on in our city with ICE, and their presence was definitely a looming shadow, but to have it happen right outside your home is a big deal. Obviously it’s very different,” Klinefelter said.
“We have to show them how outraged we are.”
Ezra Levin, co-founder of the activist group Indivisible, told USA TODAY that he hopes the energy and anger over Goode’s death will be a turning point that will force lawmakers to assess how many people in their communities want to limit ICE.
“If we want politicians to follow us, we have to show them how outraged we are. We have to show them where to go, and that means turning out with the military this weekend,” he said.
Indivisible was founded to teach Americans how to become more involved in their communities. It is part of a coalition of left-wing groups that have helped mobilize protests since President Donald Trump took office for the second time.
“It’s our role at this point to express our anger, and it’s our elected officials’ role to listen to that anger and act on it,” he said. “We appreciate that our elected officials are expressing their anger, but that’s not their job. We want them to take action at the local, state, and federal level to fight back against the secret police who are terrorizing communities and killing Americans. And that means using the tools they have.”
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota spoke to people marching in Minneapolis from the back of a pickup truck. Earlier in the day, federal officials refused to grant her and two other Minnesota lawmakers access to an ICE processing center in Minneapolis, in apparent violation of federal law.
Omar speaks at Minneapolis protest, calls President Trump a ‘tyrant’
“This is not the America we want to live in. And this is not the life we want for ourselves or our neighbors.”
Omar said Republicans control Congress and the presidency, but that won’t last forever. “Republicans may have a House majority, they may have a Senate majority, they may hold the presidency today, but we live in a democracy.” “We’re going to escort them all out the door.”
“We have to do something” all over the country
In the hours after Goode’s death, protests and vigils erupted across the United States. This number remained high throughout the week, culminating with organizers planning more than 1,000 events on Saturday, January 10th and Sunday, January 11th, under the banner of “ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action.”
At a rainy protest in Marion, Ohio, attended by dozens of people, 70-year-old Cindy Cooper said she had never been more afraid of a presidential administration. After seeing the video of Good being shot, she decided to join the protests.
“It would be embarrassing not to be here,” Cooper said. “You can’t look at what happened and sit in your nice, warm little house and say, ‘That’s not a shame.’ Something has to be done.”
In Indiana’s capital, about 200 demonstrators chanted “This is what democracy looks like” and held signs as cars passed by on East 86th Street. Some drivers honked their horns in support.
Peter Moore, 48, of Carmel, Indiana, said: “This is not normal since President Trump was inaugurated for his second term, and we can’t condition it any further.” “The more we protest, the more the impact will gradually grow.”
More than 150 people gathered in Coachella, Riverside County, California, on January 10th to protest a mass shooting.
Demonstrators waved placards, chanted in English and Spanish, and danced to music from portable speakers. The protests were peaceful, with no visible police presence. Drivers passing by honked their horns and cheered.
“Enough is enough,” said Gabby Armenta of Comite Latino, a nonprofit organization that organized the event. “ICE is terrorizing our communities. People are afraid to leave their homes.”
ICE activity in the Coachella Valley has increased sharply since mid-December, mirroring last summer’s enforcement campaign.
We need to do something other than vote,” said Django Valledor of La Quinta, California. He sometimes monitors the Home Depot parking lot to protect undocumented workers.
In Iowa, more than 200 people rallied under snow in the King Irving neighborhood of Des Moines holding signs that read, “No Iowa for ICE” and “No ICE!” “ICE is best when crushed!”
Karen Moss, 72, of Urbandale, Iowa, said she couldn’t blame Good for trying to scare away the agents who approached her.
“I can understand how people would be scared of someone wearing a mask, someone who doesn’t identify themselves, someone who gives you two different instructions,” Moss said. “It was a mess.”
“It’s hard to sit back and watch this situation go on without being a part of something,” she added.
At a rally in Naples, Florida, participants said they came together to demand accountability, transparency and immediate investigations into this week’s ICE killings in Minnesota, as well as to honor and humanize the lives taken by ICE. They wanted to create a space for grieving, solidarity, and collecting activities while strengthening local connections.
After an hour-long vigil, participants began a quiet, solemn walk along the Tamiami Trail, illuminated by the constant sound of car horns.
“This killing is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity, and abuse perpetrated by federal immigration enforcement against members of our community,” said Cynthia Odierna, an event organizer in Naples.
In Clintonville, Ohio, Zach Dygert stood on the side of North High Street in the rain holding up a sign that read “Abolish ICE.”
The 32-year-old Worthington man and about 500 other protesters said they came here to stand up for others.
“I want people to have more empathy. … Our country was built on immigrants. It goes back to empathy and caring for your neighbor and making sure everyone has a good quality of life,” Dygert said while wearing a shirt that read “Immigration Makes America Great.” “Borders mean less to me than people.”
Contributor: Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star. Danae King, Columbus Dispatch. Abby Bummerlin, Marion Starr. Kyle Warner, Des Moines Register. Phil Fernandez, Naples Daily News. Sam Morgen, Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY national political correspondent Sarah D. Wire can be reached at swire@usatoday.com.
