Police arrested several demonstrators on Saturday outside a federal building just south of Minneapolis, breaking up a protest that marked the one-month anniversary of a Minnesota woman's death at the hands of an immigration officer. The incident occurred as scores of protesters gathered across the street from the Bishop Henry Whipple federal building around midday, throwing bottles and sex toys at a line of police guarding the property.
Chaotic Scene Leads to Multiple Arrests
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that officers arrested a handful of protesters after the crowd started throwing chunks of ice. According to a statement obtained by the newspaper from the Hennepin County sheriff's office, a deputy was hit in the head, and a squad vehicle's windshield was smashed during the confrontation. Police declared the gathering unlawful and ordered protesters to leave.
While many complied with the dispersal order, approximately 100 protesters remained in a standoff with deputies, state troopers, and state conservation officers. Video circulating on social media shows several protesters being forced to the ground and taken into custody. One individual, who appeared to be placed in handcuffs, claimed, "I was here delivering pizza for the protesters. I had no idea that this was happening. I moved to the side of the curb when they started rushing everyone and now they're arresting me. I am a peaceful protester delivering pizza and they're arresting me."
Background of the Protest
The protest was organized to mark the one-month anniversary of Renee Good's death. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer on January 7 as she was driving away from immigration officers in a Minneapolis neighborhood. Her death, along with the killing of another Minneapolis resident, Alex Pretti, just weeks later on January 24, has stoked nationwide outrage over Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Bystander video of Good's incident shows an officer approaching her Honda Pilot SUV, which was stopped across the middle of a snowy street, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The vehicle began to pull forward, and a different ICE officer standing in front of it pulled his weapon and immediately fired at close range. The Trump administration has characterized Good as a domestic terrorist who attempted to run over an officer, but state and local officials have rejected this portrayal.
In Pretti's case, bystander video shows a half-dozen officers taking him to the ground during a scuffle. One officer spotted Pretti's gun, which he was licensed to carry, and shouted, "He's got a gun," prompting two officers to open fire.
Community Response and Federal Actions
Meanwhile on Saturday, hundreds of people gathered on a snow-covered field in a Minneapolis park to honor Good and Pretti. Event organizers echoed recent criticisms of the immigration crackdown across Minnesota, describing it as a federal occupation. A Lakota spiritual leader, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, led a ceremony at the front of the crowd, which was filled with people holding signs and American flags. Others shared music and poetry to honor the two individuals who have become central figures in the polarizing immigration debate in recent weeks.
In a related development, Tom Homan, the Trump administration's border czar, announced on Wednesday that the administration would withdraw 700 immigration officers from Minnesota—roughly a quarter of the officers deployed to the state. This decision came after state and local officials agreed over the past week to cooperate by turning over arrested immigrants. However, Homan did not specify when the administration would end its crackdown in the state.
Family Statement and Broader Impact
Becca Good, Renee Good's wife, issued a statement on Saturday, emphasizing that the immigration effort is harming people in Minneapolis whose names remain unknown. "You know my wife's name and you know Alex's name, but there are many others in this city being harmed that you don't know—their families are hurting just like mine, even if they don't look like mine," Becca Good said. "They are neighbors, friends, co-workers, classmates. And we must also know their names. Because this shouldn't happen to anyone."
No one from the sheriff's office responded to email, voicemail, and text messages from the Associated Press on Saturday afternoon requesting a copy of the statement and inquiring about the number of arrests, injuries, and the events leading up to the arrests. The protest and subsequent arrests highlight the ongoing tensions and divisions surrounding immigration policies in the United States.
