Protests have erupted across Columbus, Ohio, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, following a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent. According to ABC6, over 100 people took to the streets in downtown Columbus, demanding that ICE cease operations in central Ohio in light of the recent event in Minneapolis, where Renee Nicole Macklin Good, a 37-year-old mother, was killed by an agent during an immigration raid.
As gathered by foot, protesters chant slogans, including "No ICE, no police" and "Get ICE off our streets," aiming to express their perception that immigration actions terrorize their communities, according to ABC6 news. Demonstrators in Columbus have vowed to continue protesting, indicating plans for another rally at the Statehouse. Meanwhile, according to Al Jazeera, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey labeled the government account of the incident as "garbage," having watched the video footage himself.
In Minneapolis, emotions are high with immediate protest response; city schools preemptively closed, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called for peaceful demonstrations, putting the state's National Guard on alert. Sending echoes through the cities just miles from where George Floyd was killed in 2020, the protesters carried signs such as "ICE Out Now" and "We deserve to be safe in our community," reported WBNS.
The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians has expressed concern for their citizens, issuing notices via social media. Demonstrators chanted, "We Keep Us Safe," and "Justice Now!" The Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, which houses an immigration court, has become the locus of these demonstrations in Minnesota. Homelands Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that ICE agents are not planning on leaving, fueling further outrage among protesters, as reported by WBNS.
