Thousands of protesters gathered in the southern part of Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon to oppose U.S. immigration enforcement policies following the fatal shooting of a local woman by a federal immigration officer.
The demonstration took place near the home of Reni Nicole Good, who was killed by gunfire from a U.S. immigration agent. Protesters assembled in a snow-covered park close to her residence, chanting slogans including “We do not tolerate ICE.”
The protests were directed against President Donald Trump’s policy of deploying immigration officers in cities across the United States. Mothers carrying children, senior citizens, and other residents participated in the rally, holding handmade placards. Messages on the signs included “ICE killed Reni Good” and “Punish Agent Jonathan Ross.”
According to the American newspaper The Washington Post, similar protests were held nationwide, including in Boston, New York City, Austin, and Philadelphia. Many of the demonstrations were organized by the progressive advocacy group Indivisible.
Police Response and Arrests
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a press conference on Saturday that protests held in recent days had largely remained peaceful. However, he said a demonstration held Friday night outside a hotel believed to be housing immigration officers became tense. Some individuals damaged property and threw snow, ice, and rocks at police officers.
Police arrested 29 people, and at least one officer was injured after being struck by a large piece of ice. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged protesters to remain calm and called on them to avoid violence.
Victim Profile and Details of the Shooting
According to The Washington Post, Good, 37, was an award-winning poet, a mother of three, and a film enthusiast. She studied creative writing at Old Dominion University in Virginia and received the Academy of American Poets award for graduate students in 2020. She is survived by a 15-year-old daughter and two sons aged 12 and 6.
Democratic Senator Tina Smith said on social media that Good was a U.S. citizen, not an immigrant. Federal authorities have not yet officially released her name or confirmed her citizenship.
According to The Washington Post, the shooting and the Trump administration’s response have sparked widespread reaction beyond Minneapolis. Following President Trump’s nationwide crackdown on undocumented immigrants, hundreds of immigration agents have been deployed to Minneapolis.
Videos shared on social media show the shooting, which occurred at about 10:25 a.m. last Wednesday. Footage from multiple angles shows an SUV blocking a residential street, with a group of people standing nearby who appear to be protesting.
Immigration officers are seen approaching the vehicle and ordering the woman driving the SUV to exit. One agent pulls on the driver-side door while another stands in front of the vehicle.
The BBC reported that it remains unclear how close the agents were to the vehicle or whether any of them were struck by it. When the SUV began to move forward, officers opened fire. Three gunshots can be heard, after which the vehicle lost control and struck another car parked along the roadside.
President Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that an immigration officer had been “brutally” run over by the vehicle. The Trump administration has since deployed an additional 2,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis area. At a press conference on Wednesday, the mayor said the increased federal presence had made the city less safe.
Meanwhile, U.S. immigration officers also opened fire in Portland on Thursday, injuring two local residents. The two incidents have triggered nationwide protests across the United States against immigration authorities.
