A vigil set for Friday night in St. Petersburg is honoring Renee Good while reigniting debate over the city’s relationship with federal immigration authorities.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A vigil scheduled for Friday night in St. Petersburg for an activist killed during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation is renewing debate over the city’s relationship with federal immigration authorities.
The gathering, set to begin at 7 p.m., is being organized by faith leaders who are calling on the St. Petersburg Police Department to end its agreement with ICE.
The vigil comes amid growing anger and grief following the death of Renee Good, an activist killed during an ICE operation in Minneapolis. Local faith leaders say her death prompted renewed scrutiny of partnerships between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies.
“In the light of the recent violence that’s happened in Minneapolis and Portland, I think it’s important for our police department, our chief, our mayor, to take a look at our agreement with ICE,” Rev. Andy Oliver said.
Rev. Oliver published an open letter Friday calling on city leaders and St. Pete police to end their agreement with ICE, arguing the partnership does not reflect the city’s values.
“Here in St. Pete, we don’t share the same values as ICE, and it’s time to end that agreement,” Oliver said.
The vigil is being hosted by Rev. Ben Atherton-Zeman, who said the gathering is intended to honor Good while addressing broader moral concerns.
“For us as a faith community this is not a political issue, this is a moral issue,” Rev. Atherton-Zeman said. “We’re hoping to bring people together to heal from the trauma — not just to her family but to the nation — but also to organize so our land follows the principles of democracy.”
St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway disputes the characterization of the department’s role.
In a written statement, Holloway said, “To clarify, our department is not part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We assist ICE only when, during the course of a lawful encounter, an individual is identified as a suspect or subject in a criminal investigation. If it is determined that the individual has an active warrant, we are legally obligated to execute that warrant, whether it’s ICE-related or not, fairly and consistently. We are not seeking, nor do we receive, funding to support ICE operations.
As of today, none of our officers has received training under the 287(g) program; therefore, none has been deputized.”
Holloway has also previously said immigration enforcement is not the department’s focus.
“We’re not concerned about somebody walking down the street — their immigration status, whether they’re documented or not, that’s not our job. We’re not going to do that,” Holloway said in a March interview.
Faith leaders say Friday night’s vigil will center voices from the immigrant community while urging city leaders to take a public stance on the issue.
The mayor and St. Petersburg City Council members were contacted for comment on the open letter, but had not responded as of this publication.