Outrage and anti-ICE demonstrations follow the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good. After a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, there was a national outcry and a surge of anti-ICE demonstrations. Good, a mother of three, was shot several times in her car after dropping her small boy off at school. This led to widespread anti-ICE demonstrations in a number of US locations.
Amid President Donald Trump’s increased immigration enforcement efforts, such as “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota, the incident occurred during a run-in with federal authorities. Good “weaponised” her SUV and tried to run over an officer, according to federal authorities, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who characterized the event as lawful self-defense and labeled her activities as “domestic terrorism.” The vehicle turned away from the agent as shots were fired, according to eyewitness reports, bystander footage, and analyses from publications like The New York Times, which refuted this story.
The shooting, which took place a few miles from the location of George Floyd’s 2020 murder, reignited old wounds in a city already damaged by discussions about police brutality. Protests broke out across the country over the weekend of January 10–11, with slogans like “ICE Out For Good” and “Abolish ICE.” Tens of thousands of people braved the bitter cold in Minneapolis to march through streets, congregate outside federal buildings, and chant Good’s name. Minneapolis police estimated that the numbers were enormous. Chicago, Portland (where two additional individuals were injured in separate federal shootings), Seattle, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Kansas City, and Los Angeles were among the cities where protests spread.
Make a demand for justice
Demonstrators called for the expulsion of federal immigration officers from local communities, a halt to aggressive raids, justice, and accountability for ICE agent Jonathan Ross. There were isolated conflicts, like as reports of demonstrators confronting police in Minneapolis, but the majority stayed peaceful. On January 11, the movement made its way to Hollywood for the 83rd Golden Globes, when celebrities used the red carpet to raise awareness of the cause. Wanda Sykes and Mark Ruffalo, among other actors, sported black-and-white pins with phrases like “ICE OUT” and “BE GOOD,” a play on Good’s last name.
Honoring
After a mostly apolitical event the year before, these nuanced yet pointed tributes honored Renee Good and emphasized criticism of ICE methods under the present administration, bringing politics into the otherwise beautiful awards program. With Democratic leaders like Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey denouncing the federal strategy and demanding investigations, while the Trump administration defended the operations and pledged more agents, the protests highlight the stark national differences over immigration policy.
Renee Good’s passing has become a focal point for people calling for changes to federal enforcement procedures as vigils and protests go on.
