Thousands of demonstrators poured onto streets across the United States this weekend, voicing fury over the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis mother by an immigration officer. The protests unfolded even as Homeland Security head Kristi Noem pledged on Sunday to dispatch "hundreds more" federal agents to the city.
Nationwide Outrage Over Fatal Encounter
The widespread demonstrations were triggered by the death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis last Wednesday. Video footage from multiple angles captured the moment she was shot while driving away in her car.
In Minneapolis itself, protesters marched towards the residential street where the shooting occurred, braving strong, frigid winds. Officials reported that 30 people were arrested during Saturday's protests, with one police officer injured after a chunk of ice was thrown. Mayor Jacob Frey stated the "vast majority of community members have demonstrated peacefully."
The killing has energised activists far beyond Minnesota. On Saturday, large groups assembled in major cities including Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, with some actions continuing into Sunday. In Los Angeles, protesters gathered outside federal buildings downtown, marching along Alameda Street with inverted American flags and signs criticising ICE.
Political Divide and Escalating Federal Response
The incident has exposed a sharp political rift. Democratic leaders in Minnesota and Donald Trump's administration have presented starkly contrasting accounts. Trump administration officials have, without evidence, accused Good of being a "domestic terrorist," while Trump claimed the ICE agent was "run over"—a statement contradicted by video evidence.
Minneapolis Mayor Frey, visibly impassioned, earlier told ICE officers to leave the city. On NBC's Meet the Press, he criticised the administration for refusing to allow state investigators to assist the FBI probe, accusing it of being "so quick to jump on a narrative as opposed to the truth."
Despite the outcry, Kristi Noem doubled down on the federal stance. "We're sending more officers today and tomorrow," she told Fox News on Sunday. "There will be hundreds more in order to allow our ICE and our border patrol individuals that are working in Minneapolis to do so safely." This deployment follows the recent arrival of roughly 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis-St Paul region in what the Department of Homeland Security called its largest operation to date.
Coast-to-Coast Demonstrations
Protests resonated across the country:
- California: Beyond Los Angeles, large crowds turned out across the Bay Area in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, and San Jose. In San Francisco, hundreds filled Van Ness Avenue, with drivers honking in support. Another group at Ocean Beach formed a human banner reading "IT WAS MURDER – ICE OUT."
- Utah: Approximately 1,000 demonstrators assembled in Salt Lake City, circling Washington Square Park before positioning themselves in front of the third district court. Organiser Sarah Buck urged patience, stating, "We do need to have patience and see if an investigation takes place the way it should."
The protests also reflect growing anger over other recent ICE shootings, including in Portland, Oregon, which left three people injured this week. As federal forces are bolstered and investigations proceed under a cloud of political controversy, the death of Renee Good has become a flashpoint for national debates on immigration enforcement and the use of deadly force.
