Protesters in Minnesota (AP photo)
Anger over the killing of a woman by a US immigration agent in Minneapolis spilled onto the streets across US on Saturday. The demonstrations came three days after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a US citizen, during an encounter in south Minneapolis. She was sitting in her car when she was shot. Videos of the incident, filmed from different angles, spread quickly online and triggered sharp and emotional reactions across the country.
Minnesota state leaders described the shooting as an unjustified use of lethal force against a civilian who was trying to leave the scene. The Trump administration offered a very different version, claiming Ms Good tried to run over the agent. Officials said the agent acted in self-defence.
How protest spread
On Saturday, protest groups under the banner “ICE out for good” organised rallies across the country, including in cities that have been key targets of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.In Minneapolis, the response was immediate and intense. Protesters marched through immigrant neighbourhoods despite freezing January temperatures, chanting against ICE. Police used tear gas near a federal building close to the airport. Governor Tim Walz condemned the shooting and placed National Guard troops on alert.The White House responded by sending more federal agents to the city. City officials said most protests were peaceful, though 29 people were arrested on Friday night after a smaller group vandalised property and refused to disperse.
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What began as local outrage soon turned into a national protest movement. Videos of the shooting circulated widely, while civil rights groups and activists issued calls for demonstrations across the country. The anger was further fuelled by the Portland shooting, which many protesters cited as part of a wider pattern involving federal immigration enforcement.By the weekend, protests had spread rapidly. In Portland, demonstrators gathered by the river, holding signs and chanting “Abolish ICE.” In New York, people stood outside ICE offices in the rain. In Los Angeles, a group of protesters gathered near Pershing Square.Similar scenes were reported in Houston, Austin, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, Omaha, and several smaller towns.In Austin, Democratic lawmaker Greg Casar addressed protesters and called for the removal of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem, who has publicly defended the ICE agent involved.“We cannot wait here in despair. We cannot do nothing. We cannot fall into hopelessness. ” Casar told protestors.Minnesota lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig and Kelly Morrison also accused ICE of blocking congressional oversight after they were asked to leave an immigration facility shortly after entering it.