By Hadassa Ferreira, Arts & Culture Editor
“ICE OUT!” “No compliance with ICE or Trump Administration!” “Justice for RenéeGood!” “Full rights for all immigrants!” These are phrases written on signs by many people in Minneapolis, Boston, and other cities, as Americans protested the immigration crackdown in these cities.
According to ABC News, the Trump administration’s immigration policies and ICE enforcement actions have triggered protests throughout states across the country. On Jan. 30,thousands of people protested in the streets of Minneapolis, Boston, and other cities against ICE and its current immigration approach.
Beyond the regular sensitiveness and controversies that surround the matter of immigration, the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, two 37-year-old adults, increased the feeling of revolt and dissatisfaction in people’s hearts.
“A member of our union lost their life today, and that alone is devastating. Our hearts are heavy, and we are deeply stricken by this tragedy that has befallen one of our own,” stated the union American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).
Both shootings happened in the city of Minneapolis, where protests have been more intense. The sea of posters that call for justice for ICE’s shooting victims also call for a nationwide strike to oppose the Trump administration.
According to ABC News, the first shooting, in which Good was shot, happened on Jan. 7, when federal law enforcement officers were doing an enforcement operation.
The operation was part of President Donald Trump’s decision to strengthen the tactics on the immigration matters in the city.
The officers were in the middle of an operation when their vehicle got stuck in the snow; while the officers were waiting for reinforcements, some citizens, who were unhappy with the increased ICE presence in the city, stood in the same location.
The Department of Homeland Security argues, though, that those citizens were “harassing law enforcement officers in Minneapolis.” Good was in the driver’s seat of her Honda Pilot in the middle of a residential street where ICE agents conducted the operation.
According to an ABC-WTAE’s article, Good was inside her car when an ICE officer shot her three times, striking her chest, forearm, and head; she was found unresponsive with blood on her face and torso, and required CPR on the street and the ambulance. She died shortly after arriving at the hospital. The Department of Homeland Security’s allegations are that Good was trying to run over the law enforcement officer with her car, and this is why the officer shot Good.
However, some of the footage of the moment shows that Good was turning the car’s steering wheel away from the officer.
Good’s family mourns her death, and people also call for action from the U.S. Department of Justice in investigating civil rights violations in Good’s death.
Currently, Good’s family is being represented by the law firm of Romanucci & Blandin, which also represented George Floyd’s family, and announced a civil investigation into her death.
The second victim of the ICE shootings in Minneapolis was Alex Pretti, a male nurse. ABC News also reported that Alex Pretti was killed on Jan. 24, and the information around his death is still inconclusive since investigators continue to gather evidence on the shooting.
The ABC report state that Pretti was shot by law enforcement officer(s) and that he was severely injured and died in the emergency room of Hennepin Healthcare.
Pretti’s friends and coworkers also mourn his death. They are sad about the way the Department of Homeland Security is depicting him and also call for justice.
“He was the type of person you enjoyed being around and the notion that this helpful, smiling joking guy was being labeled a terrorist? It’s galling,” stated Dr. Dmitri Drekonja, who worked with Pretti.
According to the Department of Homeland Security’s allegations, Pretti approached border patrol agents with a semi-automatic handgun and “violently resisted” when agents tried to disarm him. However, local officers have disputed those statements and the way Pretti was pictured.
The public did not take the news of both deaths lightly and showed disagreement with the Trump administration’s immigration approach. Polling done in the first half of January by Quinnipiac University shows that more than half of the American population believes that ICE’s operations decrease safety in American cities and communities.
The fact is that people are unhappy and protesting. The feeling of dissatisfaction could also be seen during the Grammy Award show, when some artists used their time on the stage to share their feelings towards the immigration situation and their opposition to President Trump’s administration and ICE’s operations.
One of those artists was Bad Bunny.
“Before saying thanks to God, I’m going to say ICE out,” said Bad Bunny.
Another speech that night was made by Billie Eilish, another artist who won an award that night.
“I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter, and the people matter,” said Eilish.
At Saint Leo, some students shared the same feelings and insights about the matter.
“Events like this remind me of the importance of coming together and standing up for one another, and speaking up when it matters the most,” said Stevenson Michell, a senior premedstudent, majoring in biology.
2026 opened amid strong political tensions in the United States, with immigration policy at the center of public debate. Demonstrations in multiple cities in late January showed the issue continues to be prominent all over the United States.
