Updated January 8, 2026 at 7:50 PM EST
Protests continued for a second day in Minnesota and other states on Thursday, as demonstrators expressed grief and outrage over the death of Renee Nicole Good. The 37-year-old was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on Wednesday morning.
Good was shot while inside her car during an encounter with multiple ICE agents in south Minneapolis. The city has been the target of a large-scale immigration enforcement operation.
President Trump and members of his administration claim the woman had "weaponized her vehicle" and that the ICE agent acted in self-defense. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday said that deadly force is justified when faced with a weapon.
"It's clearly established law that a vehicle driven by a person and used to harm someone is a deadly weapon," she said, adding, "So, I do believe that this officer used his training in this situation."
However, local leaders and eyewitnesses reject those claims and describe the shooting as reckless. Videos captured by bystanders also raise questions about the agent's use of force.
Within hours of the shooting, large crowds of people gathered on the street where Good was killed to hold a vigil. White roses and candles were placed in the snow surrounding a small wooden cross and a sign that read "Remember." Others held up posters that condemned ICE and demanded Good's death be brought to justice.
The calls for accountability sound familiar to Trahern Crews, the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota. The shooting took place less than a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020. It's why Crews believes Minnesotans are well-equipped and ready to fight for accountability.
"It brought all of those feelings back," he said.
The killing struck a nerve far beyond Minneapolis. By Wednesday night, demonstrations emerged in New York City, Chicago, Portland, Ore., among other major cities, with many protesters voicing anger over Good's death and the presence of ICE in their own communities.
On Thursday, as demonstrations continued in Minneapolis, federal law enforcement officers were seen clashing with protesters or bystanders on at least two occasions, according to videos and photos reviewed by NPR.
Minneapolis Public Schools also canceled classes for the remainder of the week "due to safety concerns" following an altercation between U.S. border patrol agents and residents outside a local high school, MPR News reported.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said protesters were impeding on federal law enforcement operations in Minneapolis, adding that at least 11 demonstrators were arrested on assault and obstruction charges on Thursday.
More demonstrations are planned to take place across the country this weekend. Crews from Minnesota anticipates that Minnesotans will keep protesting until the ICE agent who fired the gun is held accountable and, more broadly, federal immigration officers withdraw from the state.
" I imagine people will be in the streets from now for the next month, most likely, or until there's an arrest," he said.
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