Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across the United States this weekend, voicing fury over the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. The protests erupted even as the head of homeland security, Kristi Noem, pledged on Sunday to send "hundreds more" federal agents to the city.
Nationwide Outrage Over Fatal Encounter
In Minneapolis, protesters marched towards the residential street where Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by an ICE officer on Wednesday while driving away in her car. The incident, captured on video from multiple angles, has ignited a firestorm of anger, compounded by other recent ICE shootings in Portland, Oregon, which left three people injured.
Officials confirmed that 30 people were arrested during Saturday's protests in Minneapolis, with one police officer injured after a "chunk of ice was thrown." Mayor Jacob Frey stated the "vast majority of community members have demonstrated peacefully," despite the strong, frigid winds.
Political Divide and Escalating Federal Presence
The shooting occurred shortly after approximately 2,000 federal agents were deployed to the Minneapolis–St Paul region in what the Department of Homeland Security called its largest operation to date. Democratic leaders in Minnesota and the Trump administration have presented starkly different accounts of the event.
Trump administration officials have, without evidence, accused Good of being a "domestic terrorist," while former President Trump claimed the ICE agent was "run over"—a statement contradicted by video evidence. A visibly impassioned Mayor Frey responded by telling ICE officers to leave the city and criticised the administration for refusing to allow Minneapolis state investigators to assist the FBI probe, accusing them of being "so quick to jump on a narrative as opposed to the truth."
On Sunday, Kristi Noem doubled down on Fox News, stating, "We're sending more officers today and tomorrow... There will be hundreds more" to ensure the safety of federal personnel.
Coast-to-Coast Demonstrations
The outrage was not confined to Minnesota. Large groups of protesters poured into the streets of several major cities on Saturday, with some actions extending into the night and continuing on Sunday.
In Los Angeles, California, activists assembled outside federal buildings downtown on Saturday evening. Marchers moved along Alameda Street—a site of previous confrontations over immigration raids—carrying inverted American flags and homemade signs criticising ICE. The Los Angeles Police Department later issued a dispersal order for the area.
Throughout California's Bay Area, large crowds turned out in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, San Jose, and San Francisco. In San Francisco, hundreds filled Van Ness Avenue, with drivers honking in support, while another group formed a human banner on Ocean Beach reading "IT WAS MURDER – ICE OUT."
Approximately 1,000 additional demonstrators assembled in Salt Lake City, Utah, circling Washington Square Park before positioning themselves in front of the state's third district court. Organiser Sarah Buck urged patience, telling the Salt Lake Tribune, "We do need to have patience and see if an investigation takes place the way it should."
The widespread demonstrations underscore the deep-seated tensions surrounding immigration enforcement tactics in the US, as calls for accountability and justice for Renee Good grow louder.
