On Saturday, Chicagoans made it clear they are not letting the killing of Renée Good fade from public memory. Hundreds of residents turned out in the Loop and in DuPage County for memorials, prayers, and protests one month after Good was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis. People built altars, lit candles, and joined interfaith services as activists renewed pressure on local and federal officials to release footage and hold immigration authorities accountable. Organizers described the day as equal parts mourning and political demand for transparency from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security.
Suburban altars honor those killed
In Wheaton, volunteers at the Casa DuPage Workers Center spent the day assembling Day of the Dead-style altars for Renée Good, Alex Pretti, and Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez. Organizers said the displays will be driven to the Franklin Park site where Villegas-Gonzalez was killed, followed by a candlelight vigil. Cristóbal Cavazos, executive director of Casa DuPage, said in a statement that the effort is about refusing to let victims become statistics, adding that “we need to keep track of our humanity in this moment.” As reported bythe Daily Herald, volunteers crafted papel picado and paintings to remember those killed and plan to move the finished altars to Franklin Park.
Prayer vigil and protests at Federal Plaza
Downtown, Federal Plaza became the city’s main gathering point. Hundreds of people assembled for an interfaith vigil followed by rallies that called on ICE to pull back from neighborhoods and demanded investigations into the recent shootings in Minneapolis. Local elected officials and faith leaders addressed the crowd, tying their prayers to pointed calls for accountability and the release of related footage. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that speakers, including Mayor Brandon Johnson and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, joined demonstrators and pressed the federal government to come clean about what happened.
Garfield Ridge coffee shop becomes focal point
On the Southwest Side, a neighborhood coffee shop found itself at the center of the political storm. In Garfield Ridge, a long line formed outside A Cup of Joe as customers showed up to support the Villarreal family, who say they were harassed for speaking out against immigration operations in the area. In a statement published by ABC7 Chicago, the family argued that trying to cancel a business over a political stance would be “un-American.” Organizers said that public backing for the shop highlights how federal enforcement actions are rippling into daily community life, from streets and plazas to small businesses.
Part of a national 'ICE Out' wave
Saturday’s Chicago events were just one front in a broader national push. Organizers framed them as part of an “ICE Out” coordinated action, with protests and walkouts reported in dozens of cities in recent weeks. Wire and photo coverage captured crowds converging on federal courthouses and plazas, including earlier demonstrations at Federal Plaza on Jan. 30, as activists pressed officials to rein in ICE deployments. Photo coverage by Anadolu Agency, distributed via Reuters Connect, documented the Jan. 30 national shutdown and marches calling for ICE to leave U.S. cities, according to Reuters Connect.
Calls for accountability
Family members and organizers used the weekend actions to double down on demands for answers. They called for the public release of footage and formal investigations into the shootings. Becca Good released a statement saying, “Renee was not the first person killed, and she was not the last... their families are hurting,” as reported by ABC7 Chicago. The demonstrations unfolded against the backdrop of a growing policy fight: federal officials have announced steps to equip Minneapolis agents with body cameras, a move they say is intended to increase transparency as legal and congressional reviews continue, according to The Washington Post.
