The deadly shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during an immigration operation in Minneapolis earlier Wednesday has sparked protests across the country, including a demonstration in downtown Miami.
The woman has been identified by family members as 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE agents were conducting an operation when a group of people attempted to block them. Video released by authorities shows a dark SUV stopped in the roadway as agents approach the vehicle and order the driver to exit.
As an agent pulls on the driver’s door handle, the vehicle begins to move forward. An ICE agent standing near the front of the SUV then draws his weapon and fires, striking the driver.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted federal immigration authorities, telling ICE to “get the f—” out of the city after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman during an immigration-related operation
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described the shooting as an act of self-defense, calling the driver’s actions “domestic terrorism.”
“The ICE officer, fearing for his life and the lives of other officers and the public, fired defensive shots,” Noem said. “He used his training to save his own life and that of his colleagues.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey strongly rejected that characterization after reviewing the video.
“They are already trying to spin this as an act of self-defense,” Frey said. “Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bull—-. This was an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying.”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem made brief comments about an ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis that killed a woman.
The shooting prompted hundreds of protesters to take to the streets in Minneapolis, with demonstrators chanting “Arrest the shooter.” A growing vigil has also formed in honor of Good.
In downtown Miami, demonstrators gathered in solidarity, calling for accountability and justice.
“I think it’s important to not become desensitized to the point where we are passively taking on what’s happening,” said Angel Montavelo of the People’s Progressive Caucus of Miami. “We have normalized what’s happening through mass media.”
Martin Vidal, who attended the Miami protest, said emotions ranged from anger to fear.
“We all have a very natural human reaction to someone getting murdered,” Vidal said.
Multiple lawmakers said Good was a U.S. citizen and not the intended target of ICE’s operation.