ICE’s Escalating Violence is a Call to Action

On January 7, an ICE agent fatally shot a woman to death in her car. Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old resident of Minneapolis, was partially blocking the road with her SUV when two agents ordered her to “Get out of the f**king car.” One pulled on the driver-side door. Good briefly reversed the car. Then, as she started driving forward again, another officer named Jonathan Ross fired his pistol into the car as the vehicle drove past him.

Renee Good's wife was filming the encounter and witnessed the shooting from the street. Good had just dropped off her six-year-old son at school.

Although many of us are used to hearing about police violence, this situation was different. For one thing, it was caught on video. From multiple angles. And posted to social media.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Donald Trump quickly took to social media and the press to smear Good as a domestic terrorist. Five years after thousands of MAGA protestors violently stormed the United States Capitol, the same government who pardoned them has labeled Renee Good as a terrorist. Why?

Because she stood in the way of fascism.

Their message is clear. Nobody is safe. No matter what you look like, if you disagree with the regime, they will do everything in their power to stop you. With a government that classifies Antifa is a terrorist organization, anyone who fights against fascism is a terrorist. 

I do not want this to discourage anyone from fighting. Instead of using Good’s murder as a reason to hide, or an occasion to retreat into cynicism or despair, I encourage you to continue her work in fighting for the safety and livelihood of your neighbors.

Here are some ways to get involved.

First, stay informed. Follow anti-ICE organizations on social media. These accounts will provide you with information about what’s going on, usually providing encouraging opportunities to take action and help out. In New Orleans, a few Instagram accounts I choose to keep up with are the New Orleans chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (@neworleansdsa), Freedom Road Socialist Organization New Orleans (@frso.no), New Orleans Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (@n.o.alliance), and Southeast Dignity Not Detention Coalition (@sedignitynotdetentioncoalition)

Additionally, I suggest that those who are able become trained in filming interactions with law enforcement and how to de-escalate these situations. This could be helpful if you want to be a marshal for protests in the future. Furthermore, using whistle signals is an easy way to send warnings to those nearby. It has become commonly known in immigrant communities that three short blows of a whistle means ICE is nearby. This could warn your neighbors to seek safety until the agents have cleared the area. Three long blows of the whistle alert those nearby that someone is actively being detained by agents. 

Finally, report any confirmed sightings of ICE agents and their exact location and time on social media. “ICE sighted on Claiborne near Mahalia Jackson Theater on December 12 at 7pm,” for example. Some include a photo of the vehicles and agents in the post when possible, but the location and time is the most important.

This state-sanctioned violence is not going to end any time soon. The day after I wrote this, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent in Portland shot and wounded two people. Federal agents reportedly used chemical irritants against protesters and arrested them on charges like assault and obstruction. Meanwhile, the FBI has taken sole control of investigating Good’s shooting, with Minnesota's state bureau saying it was blocked from accessing evidence.

If we allow this extreme right-wing government to scare us into compliance, it will only get worse. I encourage you to stay vigilant. Stay alert for those who are in danger. Know your rights and theirs. 

When the history books about our lives are written, we will be on the right side of the fight. Silence is compliance.

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