Demonstrations erupted for a second consecutive night in Minneapolis and spread to other cities across the United States following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Crowds gathered not only in Minneapolis but also in Houston, Cincinnati, Washington DC, Philadelphia and several other cities. Some protesters carried signs demanding the abolition of ICE, while others marched in solidarity with Good’s family.
Near the site where Good was shot, people placed flowers and held vigils at the location where her car crashed following the shooting. The crash site is only a few blocks from where George Floyd was killed in 2020, an event that led to weeks of nationwide protests.
At the same time, another incident involving federal agents occurred in Portland, Oregon, where two people were injured during a shooting involving border patrol officers on Thursday afternoon.
In Portland, demonstrators confronted law enforcement officers after the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the incident began during a traffic stop involving a Venezuelan gang member who allegedly attempted to run over officers with his vehicle.
Portland’s Democratic mayor questioned the federal government’s account of events. Protesters later gathered outside the city’s ICE facility on Thursday night, where six people were arrested.
ICE is currently leading the Trump administration’s large-scale deportation programme, a major campaign pledge made by Donald Trump during his election run.
Conflicting explanations have emerged regarding the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota. Federal officials from the Trump administration say the ICE agent acted in self-defence, while local authorities dispute that claim, stating that Good did not pose a threat.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced it would take responsibility for investigating the shooting.
Tensions between Minnesota officials and federal authorities intensified on Thursday after the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) said it had withdrawn from the investigation.
According to BCA Superintendent Drew Evans, the FBI initially agreed to conduct a joint inquiry with state officials but later reversed that decision and denied state investigators access to evidence and case materials. Without full access, Evans said, the BCA had “reluctantly withdrawn” from the probe.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused the Trump administration of preventing state authorities from participating in the investigation. US Vice-President JD Vance responded by saying the matter falls under federal jurisdiction.
Footage of the incident shows ICE agents approaching an SUV stopped in the middle of the street and ordering the woman inside to exit the vehicle. One agent is seen pulling on the driver’s door handle.
As the vehicle begins to move forward, an agent positioned at the front of the SUV raises a firearm and fires several shots. The vehicle then continues driving before crashing along the side of the road.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the ICE agent fired multiple shots because Good was attempting to run over the officer with her car.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected that explanation, calling it a false narrative. He said the footage clearly shows that Good was attempting to leave the scene rather than attack law enforcement.
Frey warned that the Trump administration was using the unrest as an opportunity to “occupy” Minneapolis. The New York Times reported that an additional 100 federal agents are being deployed to the city.
Governor Walz has activated Minnesota’s National Guard to assist with maintaining security during the protests.
At the site of the crash on Thursday, bloodstains from the shooting remained visible in the snow. Community members established a memorial, placing candles and roses along the roadside in Good’s memory.
Throughout the day, hundreds of people arrived at the scene, chanting anti-ICE slogans, speaking with neighbours and sharing hot drinks to cope with the winter cold.
Susie Hawyard, a minister, said she came to the site immediately after hearing about the shooting because she wanted to see what had happened for herself.
“I was horrified,” she said. “I saw the car, I saw Renee’s car, I saw Renee’s blood.”
Protests also took place early Thursday outside a federal building in Minneapolis, where demonstrators were met by armed officers. The gathering remained largely peaceful as residents voiced their anger over Good’s death.
“They cannot get away with killing someone,” said Gavin, one of the protesters. “There has to be consequences for actions.”
Friends and acquaintances described Good as a poet and guitarist who had recently relocated to Minneapolis.
Her mother, Donna Ganger, told the Minnesota Star Tribune that her daughter was likely frightened during the encounter that ended in her death.
“She was extremely compassionate,” Ganger said. “She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.”
Even people who had never met Good said her death had deeply affected them.
“Renee was everything that was good about our community,” said Nimco Ahmad, a Somali immigrant who grew up near the site of the shooting.
Ahmad said residents gathered not only to mourn but also to ensure that justice would be pursued.
The decision to exclude state authorities from the investigation could further erode public trust, according to Edward Maguire, a criminology professor at Arizona State University.
He said that disputes over jurisdiction in cases like this are often driven less by legal necessity and more by political efforts to influence the investigation and its outcome.
However, Bryna Godar, a staff attorney with the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School, noted that Minnesota could still bring criminal charges against the federal officer involved at a later stage.
