By Sabiu Abdullahi
Protests have erupted in several parts of the United States following the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman, Renee Nicole Good, by an officer of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The demonstrations, which began earlier this week, were sparked by public anger over the incident. Activists and civil society groups say the killing reflects what they describe as the growing use of militarised tactics in immigration enforcement under the administration of President Donald Trump.
Indivisible, a civic movement organisation, announced that hundreds of protests were scheduled to take place on Saturday in states including Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio and Florida.
“ICE’s violence is not a statistic, it has names, families, and futures attached to it, and we refuse to look away or stay silent,” Leah Greenberg, the group’s co-executive director, said in a statement.
In North Carolina, 51-year-old Steven Eubanks attended a rally in Durham. He said he felt compelled to join the protest after learning about the killing of Good.
“We can’t allow it,” Eubanks told The Associated Press news agency. “We have to stand up.”
Federal authorities have defended the officer involved in the shooting. Senior officials in the Trump administration said Good had “weaponised” her vehicle and posed a threat to the life of the ICE agent who shot her.
However, video recordings from the scene showed Good trying to drive away before the fatal shots were fired by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
The incident has renewed public focus on federal immigration operations across the country. It came as the Department of Homeland Security continues what it described as its largest immigration enforcement drive in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Good, who was 37 years old, was a mother of three.
Many of Saturday’s demonstrations were organised under the banner “ICE Out for Good”. Indivisible said the protests were meant to “mourn the lives taken and shattered by ICE and to demand justice and accountability”.
In Minneapolis, migrant rights groups called for a major rally at Powderhorn Park. Organisers said the gathering would demand an “end to deadly terror on our streets”.