ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Thousands of people rallied across the country this weekend, largely in opposition to the recent killing of a Minneapolis woman by federal immigration officials.
What You Need To Know
The shooting death of Renee Nicole Good at the hands of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent has sparked outrage and protests across the nation
The circumstances surrounding 37-year-old’s death, caught on video by multiple witnesses, have ignited a national firestorm
Advocates, immigrants and supporters gathered in Rochester to speak out against ICE.
“It’s really painful because I’m a mother of five and I am an immigrant,” Mental Health Education and Legal Code for Refugees founder Hani Ali said.
It has been only a few days following the death of Renee Nicole Good –– a shooting that Trump administration officials say was self defense. Shocking the nation with the circumstances surrounding her death, this has led immigrants to rally in response.
“This is a sanctuary city,” Ali said. “The city of Rochester is full of diversity. And we’re gonna stand up and stand up for our people, for everyone.”
“One of my friends, two weeks ago, [was] taken out by ICE,” Afghani immigrant Haji Yuldash said. “He was working. He has a work permit. He’s now in a detention center in Batavia.”
“What happened in Minneapolis is a clear escalation of the violence from ICE and other federal agents that are sowing chaos and violence and killing our people,” New York Immigration Coalition member Cassandra Bocanegra said.
The Department of Homeland Security says its deployment of immigration officers in Minneapolis is its biggest ever immigration enforcement operation. Trump’s administration has said the shooting of Good and the recent shooting of two protesters in Portland, Oregon were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers.
State and local officials have strongly disputed claims that the shooting was done in self-defense as tensions rose amid the deployment of 2,000 federal agents who took part in the Trump administration’s nationwide immigration enforcement crackdown, following claims of welfare fraud in the Somali immigrant community.
“As an American citizen,” Ali said. “As a Somali citizen. The individuals that are being affected. I’m not happy about it. But I am here to support. And, however, I can’t do it myself. I need my leaders. The people that I voted for. People that I have dreams that they’re going to fix this city.”
It’s drawing attention to immigrant justice, and it’s a problem found among local leaders, parents and even children.
“I, as a U.S. senator, carry my passport whenever I leave,” 56th district of the New York state Sen. Jeremy Cooney said. “The reality is, no matter who you are, in this moment and in this country, we are all uncertain and afraid.”
“Something painful happened to our immigrant community in Minnesota,” Bijaya Khadka’s daughter Kristen said.” No matter where it happens, it affects all of us. And when one immigrant family is hurt, all immigrant families feel it.”
Groups are finding a sense of community from Minnesota all the way to New York.
“We stand for every immigrant and refugee,” Kristen said. “We are afraid but still hopeful.”
Lawmakers are bracing for pushback on federal immigration actions in New York.
Proposed legislation includes preventing ICE agents from wearing masks.
Another pushes for the creation of a public online dashboard with data about ICE activity across the state.
The last would allow New Yorkers to sue when their constitutional rights have been violated by a government official.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she backs the proposals and plans to include versions in her State of the State Agenda, which will be released Tuesday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.