Hundreds attend anti-ICE protest in Salt Lake City following death of Minneapolis woman

SALT LAKE CITY — The shooting death of a woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis is being felt more than 1,200 miles away in Utah.

Hundreds gathered in Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City on Thursday evening to protest and condemn the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three who had recently moved to Minnesota.

The rally in Salt Lake City comes amid other protests throughout the country that have been held in response to Good's death.

Chants could be heard throughout the park as people held signs calling for an end to ICE activity and justice for Good. The Salt Lake City branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation helped organize the demonstration.

"We're just here to show solidarity," said Natalia Garrido, one of the organizers, "and say that ICE should not be used for violence in our communities."

"It can happen here," added Julio Irungaray, another organizer. "It happened to Renee, and it can happen to anybody."

Federal officials have called the shooting an act of self-defense, though Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called it "reckless" and unnecessary. Good was shot in front of a family member during a traffic stop in a residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, the Associated Press reports.

An investigation into what happened is still underway, but a myriad of videos taken by bystanders posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grab the handle. The SUV can be seen in the videos beginning to pull forward while another ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the SUV at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as an "act of domestic terrorism" carried out against ICE officers by a woman who "attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him."

Vice President JD Vance added on Thursday that the ICE officer was "doing his job" and has "absolute immunity."

The Associated Press reported that before the shooting, Good had dropped off her youngest child at school, and friends and family remembered the woman as "gentle, kind and openhearted."

Two other people were shot and wounded by federal immigration officers on Thursday afternoon outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, according to the Associated Press. The Department of Homeland Security said the passenger was an undocumented immigrant from Venezuela connected to the Tren de Aragua gang and a recent shooting in the city. They said the driver tried to run over federal agents when they identified themselves.

Utah reacts

Those who attended Thursday's protest in Salt Lake City expressed strong feelings about the recent event in Minneapolis.

Bronwyn Cox said she feels the actions of immigration enforcement agents have become increasingly brazen, while incidents like what happened in Minneapolis only fuel further division.

"It's just instilling hate in our communities," she said.

Cox said in watching the videos from Minneapolis that have been circulating online, what she saw was a woman simply trying to maneuver her vehicle on an icy road.

"It absolutely was brazen," she said. "(The ICE officer) should be arrested and charged immediately."

Janna Clyne, who also attended the protest, said she regularly demonstrates near ICE facilities in Salt Lake City. She said she wants immigration enforcement officers to either stop their efforts or to follow "due process" when arresting people.

Regarding the shooting in Minneapolis, Clyne called it "awful."

"It's tragic," she said. "I could have been her."

A woman who only wanted to be identified as Jess, of Salt Lake City, expressed disappointment that it took the Minneapolis incident to spark action. She hopes protests like the one held Thursday help raise awareness and encourage more people to speak out against ICE activities.

"Personally, I've just been waiting for people to rally," she told KSL. "I've been doing it for a while."

Standing in opposition

Amid the hundreds of people in Pioneer Park was a counterprotester wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat. Jacob Maughan, of Brigham City, said the protest felt like "manufactured outrage."

"I saw the signs they came up with. Who funded that? I see the upside down American flags. Who funds that? That's my question," he said.

As for the Minneapolis shooting, Maughan said he believes the officer's actions were justified.

"The officer was in a high-stress situation, and he was getting run over, and he did what he had to do," Maughan said. "It's unfortunate that someone had to die, but the officer acted well within his rights."

About an hour into the protest, Maughan was involved in a physical altercation with other demonstrators. Witness video obtained by KSL appears to show Maughan punch a man who was yelling at him. Others got involved after that, and police officers quickly responded.

A Salt Lake police spokesperson did not immediately have further information about the incident or if there were any arrests. Besides that, police said, the rally was peaceful.

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