Scottsdale rallygoers honoring Renee Nicole Good demand justice
Under a cool breeze in upscale Old Town Scottsdale, dozens of people gathered to commemorate Renée Nicole Good, the mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
About 150 protesters gathered early in the evening of Jan. 9 near Indian School and Scottsdale roads, waving American flags and holding signs calling for justice for the 37-year-old’s death two days earlier.
It was one of more than a dozen protests held across Arizona and about a thousand demonstrations nationwide in honor of Good and Silverio Villegas González, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. González, 38, was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September in Portland.
Scottsdale resident Debra Metelits, 74, blamed Good’s death on U.S. President Donald Trump, whose second term was marked by tough immigration policies.
“It breaks my heart that this country is in distress,” Metelits said, as she carried an upside-down American flag to signal such distress — an act she described as previously unthinkable on her part.
Federal officials insist Good’s killing was legal
The Trump administration defended the ICE agent’s actions following Good’s fatal shooting, which was captured on video in a residential neighborhood.
In an article on Homeland Security contended that Good attempted to overwhelm federal law enforcement “in an effort to kill them – an act of domestic terrorism.”
“An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement officers, and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots,” Homeland Security said in the X post.
The department added that the masked ICE agents, who were seen in the video walking away after the shooting, would make a full recovery. Court documents identified the immigration agent who shot Good as Jonathan Ross, who DHS said was injured in a June 2025 vehicle crash.
Vice President JD Vance and several administration officials also released a video on X to justify the ICE agent’s action.
Protesters gather on January 9, 2026 in Scottsdale after Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on January 7.
Scottsdale protesters feel compelled to act
These defenses have not convinced people like Martha Johnson. The Scottsdale protest marked the first protest the 78-year-old San Tan Valley native had ever participated in.
Martha Johnson shivered in the 58-degree temperature as she blasted ICE for causing what she said were many problems in communities across the country. She echoed a similar demand made by others at the protest: ICE must leave its quarters.
Passing drivers honked their horns in solidarity while those gathered clapped in response. The crowd, made up mostly of baby boomers, sang the Beatles’ “Let It Be” while lighting candles in front of a valley sunset.
For Scottsdale resident Nasir Raza, the turnout was particularly encouraging. Seeing a mostly white crowd oppose Trump’s MAGA movement resonated with the 59-year-old, who emigrated from Pakistan in 1980 and is the father of two American citizens.
“The entire country is made up of immigrants, and they should be celebrated instead of being denigrated and reviled as criminals,” Raza said.
Jane Johnson, 73, of Carefree, said no one, regardless of skin color, is safe in the United States right now.
“If we don’t use our white privilege to stand up and speak out against the horrible things that are happening, it’s not going to change. We have to stand up,” said Jane Johnson, who is white. The property was also white.
State officials speak at rally
Standing on a small brick barrier, Sen. Lauren Kuby, D-Tempe, told the crowd that change would not only come from elected officials, but also from ordinary people.
“I look at you and tears come to my eyes,” Kuby said.
Patti O’Neil, chairwoman of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, said the crowd was there today to honor “a woman named Good because she did good.”
O’Neil led those gathered in a recitation of Psalm 23:4: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” »
Do you have news tips or story ideas about immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona? Contact the journalist at david.ulloa@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @davidulloa_ii.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Renee Nicole Good honored at Scottsdale rally after fatal ICE shooting
