Days after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, Californians across the state took to the streets to voice their opposition against federal immigration enforcement tactics and President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.
Over the weekend thousands of demonstrators gathered in Sacramento, San Francisco and the Bay Area, the Central Valley and Southern California including Los Angeles and San Diego in remembrance of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who was killed during an ICE operation.
More than 100 residents gathered in Hollister to protest the Trump administration’s stepped-up immigration enforcement, joining demonstrations unfolding in cities across the country.
Carrying handmade signs and chanting calls for reform, demonstrators packed the corner of Tres Pinos Road and Highway 25, many saying the federal crackdown hits close to home in a region where immigrant families are deeply woven into the local economy, schools and neighborhoods.
The protest followed recent actions by the Trump administration to expand deportations and limit humanitarian protections, moves that have sparked widespread criticism from immigrant advocates and local officials in California. Organizers of the local rally said the goal was both to show solidarity with affected families and to urge Congress to pursue comprehensive immigration reform.
Local law enforcement reported no incidents, and the demonstration remained peaceful throughout the afternoon.
Across the country, protests remained largely peaceful, though one demonstration the night of Jan. 9 in Santa Ana led to U.S. Department of Homeland Security officers firing what appeared to be less lethal munitions into a crowd of protesters, according to ABC 7.
One officer was reported dragging a protester who was bloodied by the clash, but local police did not report any arrests from that event.
The shooting also came into focus on Jan. 10 during a gubernatorial candidate forum in L.A., reports the Los Angeles Times. During the union-backed event, which included a panel of eight Democrats, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell said, “Ms. Good should be alive today.”
The Trump administration has maintained that the officer who shot Good feared for his life. The California Republican Party circulated a video of First Assistant U.S. Attorney and former Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli defending ICE’s actions, arguing that “officers are fully justified in using any force they need to protect their lives.”
Good’s killing follows the death of Keith Porter, another American, who was shot and killed on Dec. 31 by an off-duty ICE officer in the L.A. neighborhood of Northridge.
In response to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, some Democratic state legislators have recently introduced bills to curb ICE activity, including proposals that would limit arrests in courthouses and enable Californians to sue for damages from federal agents—though questions about the measures’ legality and enforcement capabilities remain.
Lynn La writes for CalMatters. This story was originally published by CalMatters at tinyurl.com/3m224z8y. Staff reports contributed to this story.
