Tens of thousands of people marched through Minneapolis on Saturday to protest the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, as similar rallies were planned across the nation against federal deportation policies.
Protests Erupt After Minneapolis Shooting
The massive turnout in Minneapolis, despite cold weather, highlights the impact of the shooting of 37-year-old Good on Wednesday. The incident has fueled protests in major cities and towns across the United States. Minnesota’s Democratic leaders and the administration of President Donald Trump have offered differing accounts of the shooting.
Demonstrators in Minneapolis, led by a team of Indigenous Mexican dancers, marched towards the residential street where Good was shot in her car.
‘Heartbroken and Devastated’
The Minneapolis Police Department estimated the crowd size in the tens of thousands. Protesters chanted Good’s name and slogans such as “Abolish ICE” and “No justice, no peace get ICE off our streets.”
“I’m insanely angry, completely heartbroken and devastated, and then just like longing and hoping that things get better,” said protester Ellison Montgomery, 30, to Reuters.
Minnesota officials have stated the shooting was unjustified, citing bystander video that they say shows Good’s vehicle turning away from the agent as he fired. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, maintains the agent acted in self-defense, stating Good drove forward toward the agent after another agent had approached the driver’s side and told her to exit the vehicle.
The shooting occurred shortly after approximately 2,000 federal officers were dispatched to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in what DHS has called its largest operation to date, increasing tensions between the administration and Democratic leaders in the state.
Federal-state tensions further escalated on Thursday when a US Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, shot and wounded a man and woman in their car during a vehicle stop. DHS stated the driver attempted to “weaponise” his vehicle and run over agents, mirroring its description of the Minneapolis incident.
The two DHS-related shootings prompted a coalition of progressive and civil rights groups, including Indivisible and the American Civil Liberties Union, to plan more than 1000 events under the banner “ICE Out For Good” on Saturday and Sunday. The rallies are scheduled to conclude before nightfall to minimize the potential for violence.
In Philadelphia, protesters chanted “ICE has got to go” and “No fascist US” while marching from City Hall to a rally outside a federal detention facility. In Manhattan, several hundred people carried anti-ICE signs while walking past an immigration court where agents have arrested migrants following their hearings.
“We demand justice for Renee, ICE out of our communities, and action from our elected leaders. Enough is enough,” said Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of Indivisible.
Demonstrations Mostly Peaceful
Minnesota has been a focal point in the administration’s efforts to deport millions of immigrants, with Trump criticizing its Democratic leaders amid a welfare fraud scandal involving some members of the large Somali-American community.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat who has been critical of immigration agents and the shooting, stated at a press conference Saturday that the demonstrations have remained largely peaceful and that anyone damaging property or engaging in unlawful activity would be arrested.
“We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos,” Frey said. “He wants us to take the bait.”
More than 200 law enforcement officers were deployed Friday night to control protests that resulted in US$6000 in damage at the Depot Renaissance Hotel and attempts by demonstrators to enter the Hilton Canopy Hotel, believed to house ICE agents, according to the City of Minneapolis.
Police chief Brian O’Hara said some in the crowd scrawled graffiti and damaged windows at the Depot Renaissance Hotel. He said the gathering at the Hilton Canopy Hotel began as a “noise protest” but escalated as more than 1000 demonstrators converged on the site, leading to 29 arrests.
House Representatives Turned Away From ICE Facility
Three Minnesota congressional Democrats were denied access Saturday morning to a regional ICE headquarters near Minneapolis, where protesters have clashed with federal agents this week. Legislators called the denial illegal.
“We made it clear to ICE and DHS that they were violating federal law,” US Representative Angie Craig told reporters as she stood outside the Whipple Federal Building in St Paul with Representatives Kelly Morrison and Ilhan Omar.
Federal law prohibits DHS from blocking members of Congress from entering ICE detention sites, but DHS has increasingly restricted such oversight visits, prompting confrontations with Democratic lawmakers.
“It is our job as members of Congress to make sure those detained are treated with humanity, because we are the damn United States of America,” Craig said.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the congressional Democrats were denied entry to ensure “the safety of detainees and staff, and in compliance with the agency’s mandate.” She stated DHS policies require members of Congress to notify ICE at least seven days in advance of facility visits.
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