Nationwide outcry over the killing of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent spilled into the streets of cities across the US on Saturday, with protesters demanding the removal of federal immigration authorities from their communities and justice for the slain Renee Good.
In Minneapolis, snow flurries drifted down as thousands of people gathered in parks, along residential streets and outside federal buildings, chanting Good’s name, whose death has become a focal point of national outrage over federal authorities’ tactics in US cities while carrying out President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
Similar protests unfolded across the US – from Los Angeles and New York to Washington, DC, El Paso and Boston. More than 1,000 demonstrations were planned across the country this weekend by the “ICE out for good” national coalition of advocacy groups.
“The response to ICE’s horrific killing of Renee Nicole Good is loud, peaceful, and inescapable,” coalition member group Indivisible said in a Saturday Facebook post accompanied by images of protests in multiple cities.
The demonstrations are in response to “the escalation of ICE violence in our communities,” the fatal ICE shooting of Good as well as “the months-long pattern of unchecked violence and abuse in marginalized communities across America,” the coalition said, noting that all gatherings are meant to be “nonviolent, lawful, and community-led” actions to honor the people who have died in ICE confrontations and demand accountability.
Thousands protest across Minneapolis
Saturday’s protests in Minneapolis started at Powderhorn Park, a historic spot for demonstrations and a central gathering place during the 2020 protests after the killing of George Floyd, whose deadly encounter with police occurred not far from where Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot.
From there, thousands marched through nearby neighborhoods before converging on the street where Good died Wednesday morning.
As temperatures hovered near 20 degrees, demonstrators shared blankets and hot drinks, holding signs reading “ICE will melt,” and “It’s not very pro-life to kill our neighbors,” as repeated chants of Good’s name echoed through the park and surrounding streets.
Elsewhere in the city, loud bangs rang out and agents fired pepper balls at a much smaller crowd of protesters outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, where demonstrators have been confronting ICE agents during daily protests.
According to CNN’s Omar Jimenez, who was on the scene, the law enforcement presence outside the facility increased significantly after several instances of cars being hit with snow and ice, or protesters trying to block vehicles from leaving the facility. Jimenez reported that rallies at the Whipple building have been more confrontational than other demonstrations around the city, as the location puts protesters directly across from the federal agents they’re protesting against.
During a large protest of about 1,000 people Friday night in downtown, some individuals “broke off” from the crowds and began spraying graffiti and causing damage to the windows of a hotel, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at news conference Saturday. Demonstrators have converged outside hotels where they believe federal agents are staying in the Twin Cities.
More than 200 Minneapolis police officers and state troopers responded, and 29 people were detained, cited and later released, O’Hara said, noting one officer suffered minor injuries.
Mayor Jacob Frey said Saturday that most demonstrators had acted peacefully but warned that those who damaged property or endangered others would be arrested. “We cannot take the bait,” Frey said. “We will not counter chaos with chaos.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz echoed that message, urging protesters to remain peaceful while sharply criticizing federal authorities.
“Trump sent thousands of armed federal officers into our state, and it took just one day for them to kill someone,” Walz wrote on social media. “Now he wants nothing more than to see chaos distract from that horrific action. Don’t give him what he wants.”
The protests also unfolded amid a growing dispute over federal transparency, after three Minnesota Democrats – Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison – said they were turned away from an attempted oversight visit to a Minneapolis immigration facility on Saturday. A recent court ruling temporarily blocked a Trump administration policy limiting congressional visits.
Large crowds of demonstrators were seen in major cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles. Smaller protests took place in Portland, Oregon; Sacramento, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Denver, Colorado; Durham, North Carolina; and Tempe, Arizona, where protesters lined a bridge overlooking a highway.
By Saturday afternoon, demonstrators were marching through downtown Los Angeles, holding signs that read “ICE out for good,” and chanting “Trump must go now.”
As night fell, about 150 protesters gathered outside a strip of federal buildings along Alameda Street, outfitted with upside-down American flags and handmade anti-ICE posters. Much of the crowd dispersed after officers blocked off a nearby intersection, but a small group remained. Police later issued a dispersal order, citing vandalism.
“Several arrests” were made and at least one person was detained for battery on a police officer after initially fleeing the scene and later returning to the area, the LAPD said on social media. CNN reached out to police for more details.
In Washington, DC, demonstrators marched in front of the White House despite steady rain, holding signs condemning federal immigration tactics and calling for state oversight of ICE.
“I’m deeply concerned about the 10th Amendment being downtroddened by this administration and about the lives of common American citizens being endangered by a government that, in my opinion, has gone beyond its law enforcement responsibilities,” Jack McCarty, a protester who said he is originally from Minnesota, told CNN.
When asked by CNN what he believes needs to happen to ensure a death like Good’s never happens again, McCarty said, “I think independent accountability and oversight over ICE activities at the state level, in addition to empowering state lawmakers and investigators to be able to hold ICE agents accountable for actions within their state is a step forward to ensuring this tragedy never happens again.”
In Austin, Texas, some protesters confronted armed officers outside a federal building. Several armed law enforcement officials wore helmets and masks and stood outside while holding batons, CNN affiliate KEYE reported.
“I’m glad we’re taking to the streets,” protester David Whitfield told KEYE. “I think this is the type of action that we need. We really need people out here right now. I think the turnout could be bigger.”
