Let’s Make Renee Good the Last Person That ICE Kills

Shortly after dropping her 6-year-old son off at school, Renee Good was shot and killed by ICE Agent Jonathan Ross.

Republican leaders attempted to label Good a “domestic terrorist” and claim Ross acted in “self-defense.” But the incident was caught on video and we all saw it: an ICE agent murdering a 37-year-old mother. Good was also a U.S. citizen, a demographic that ICE claims to protect.

ICE’s goal in Minnesota has been to sow chaos and terror, with a focus on Minneapolis, one of the most diverse regions in the state. Many residents feel like they are living under occupation. ICE agents arrest residents at bus stops. Black and brown American citizens carry their passports everywhere to avoid being kidnapped by federal agents. Businesses are struggling because people are afraid to show up to work. Schools are closed as ICE shows up to harass and assault students and educators. And now ICE has shot and killed a neighbor.

Although occupation violence is not the norm in Minneapolis, these recent events seem all too familiar. Good’s killing took place just six blocks from where Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd. A badge does not give you the right to kill with impunity. We did not quietly accept the murder of George Floyd in 2020, and we will not accept the murder of Renee Good now.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem outrageously claimed that ICE helps keep people safe. What has become clear is that ICE poses the greatest threat to the safety of our community. That’s why the first demand of Minneapolis residents was for ICE to leave.

Thousands of residents, including Good, have organized to protect our neighbors. Delivering groceries to families, so no one is kidnapped while trying to feed their loved ones. Accompany children to schools so that families are not torn apart on the way home. Hand out whistles so we can alert our neighbors when ICE is on our streets. These actions are not always visible, but they help to keep families together.

As a local elected official, I am working with my colleagues to push our governor to take action to keep families in their homes by instituting a moratorium on evictions. Gov. Tim Walz can show the rest of the country that Democrats can stand up to Trump and protect residents targeted by the administration’s cruel policies. Hundreds of families cannot go to work safely and should not have to choose between keeping a roof over their heads and risking being permanently separated from their loved ones.

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Hennepin County Prosecutor Mary Moriarty announced Friday that they are conducting an independent investigation into Good’s killing, a crucial step because we cannot trust Trump’s agencies to conduct an arrest, investigation or fair trial.

But to truly put an end to ICE and the rising tide of fascism under Trump, the Democratic Party must take immediate and bold action to:

• Let’s send back our neighbors who were kidnapped by the federal government.
• End funding for ICE and abolish the agency.
• States, starting with Minnesota, must withhold federal taxes until there is a humanitarian immigration system.

Winning these demands requires more than just voting. We need national-level labor organizing to organize strikes and shutdowns to shut down the economy and force a change in course until we can all live without fear of being kidnapped or shot by armed agents. The ICE Out of Minnesota economic blackout scheduled for January 23 is a good start.

Because while the eyes of the world have once again turned to Minneapolis after a man with a badge killed one of our neighbors, this is a national problem.

Less than 48 hours after an ICE agent killed Good, federal agents fatally shot two people in Portland. They have already targeted Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans. It could be your city next time. As long as ICE exists, no one is safe, not even a 37-year-old mother and American citizen. We will all have to do our part to put an end to this violence.

This moment will go down in history, but we have a choice in how it does so. If we do nothing, this will usher in a period where federal agents can kill us with impunity.

But if we act, we can make this a moment that finally turns the tide against the rise of fascism and ends Trump’s attacks on our communities. It’s time for mass action NOW– let’s make this the last life stolen by ICE.