BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Hundreds of people packed the Cathedral Church of the Nativity Friday night to honor Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old mother of three who was fatally shot Wednesday by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Minneapolis.
The vigil brought together an interfaith group of religious leaders, community organizers and residents, blending prayers and calls for action.
“She was killed for acting on her belief that immigrants are welcome and should be treated with dignity and respect, which means that she was martyred for a cause that we all believe in,” said Rev. Jon Stratton.
Federal officials have said the ICE agent who shot Good acted in self-defense, claiming she tried to strike him with her vehicle. Local and state officials in Minnesota have disputed that account.
Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg emphasized community responsibility.
“We are one human family, connected and responsible for each other,” she said.
Renee Nicole Good (Photo Courtesy: GoFundMe)
Rev. Maria Tjeltveit and Imam Daniel Hernandez criticized federal immigration officials, calling for justice, accountability and support for affected families.
Gabby Hochfeld, from Queer Trans Lehigh Valley, highlighted Good’s activism.
“She followed in the footsteps of our queer ancestors by showing up for collective liberation,” Hochfeld said. “While the circumstances are tragic, it brings me assurance to know our community can support each other in this time of grief and complexity.”
The vigil also spotlighted the work of the Lehigh Valley Emergency Response Network (ERN), a coalition of community leaders, volunteers and faith groups responding to ICE activity in the area. ERN volunteers document ICE actions, provide legal observation and connect families with aid and resources.
A smaller vigil in Allentown at the Hamilton Business Center also paid tribute to Good, with community members gathering in the rain to light candles and sing hymns, emphasizing unity and hope in the wake of her death.
Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk spoke shortly after the video of Good’s death was shared online.
“I’m horrified,” he said. “The tactics that ICE employs continue to terrify residents of cities like Allentown, Chicago, Los Angeles and now Minneapolis. And now somebody is dead. We can’t accept it.”
Lehigh County Commissioner Jon Irons, an ERN organizer, urged the community to turn grief into action.
“Now, more than ever, the work of showing up, bearing witness, and supporting each other is critical,” he said.
Irons encouraged residents to call the ERN hotline at 610-850-9930 to report ICE activity or seek support. Volunteers are trained to respond quickly and safely, providing legal and mutual aid to impacted families.
He also promoted upcoming opportunities for civic engagement, including a town hall on Jan. 21 at the Cathedral Church of the Nativity, where congressional candidates for Pennsylvania’s 7th District will discuss immigration-related concerns, and a volunteer training session scheduled for Jan. 30.
“The right to assembly, speech, and to observe and document ICE activity is constitutionally protected,” Irons said. “We will not change things if we do not work and learn together in community, in solidarity with organizers and activists across the country. Be radical and stay radical in your community building.”
Isabel Hope is a journalist and website designer based in Bethlehem, PA. She graduated with a degree in journalism from The University of Alabama in 2022, where she served as News Editor of the student newspaper. Isabel has lived in the Lehigh Valley for three years and is passionate about reporting for the communities she now calls home.