Bloomfield Vigils Remember Renee Nicole Good, Criticize ICE [PHOTOS]

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — Two vigils in the name of Renee Nicole Good recently took place in Bloomfield.

Dozens of people gathered for a candlelight vigil on Friday, which was held at Bloomfield's Historic Town Green near the intersection of Liberty and Broad streets.

“Last night was the heartfelt moment most of us needed after a tragic week,” the Bloomfield Immigrant Justice Network reported (see photos in gallery above, via Steve Moctezuma).

“It was truly inspiring to see how many Bloomfield residents joined our rapid call to honor the life of Renee Good and others whose lives have been lost due to the public safety threat ICE has created,” the group said. “We should never turn a blind eye to the attempts being made to legitimize racism and state sanctioned violence in our communities.”

On Saturday evening, another vigil took place at Bloomfield Station Plaza. It was one of several “Ice Out For Good” protests that happened last weekend across New Jersey.

Community members, faith leaders, and immigrants’ rights advocates with Make the Road Action New Jersey gathered on Broad Street for a moment of silence, prayer, poetry and speeches.

“We are witnessing a rogue president wage war on his own country, terrorizing communities and tearing families apart,” said congressional candidate Analilia Mejia, who was among those present in Bloomfield on Saturday.

“We have to use every bit of power and leverage we have to fight back,” Mejia said.

Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three, was shot to death during an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday. The shooting has ignited a national controversy, with many people criticizing ICE and decrying the immigration crackdown happening under President Donald Trump – and many others staunchly defending the actions of the officer. Read More: Minneapolis Tense After Deadly ICE Shooting, Federal Presence Surges

The shooting has sparked protests across the nation.

Meanwhile, federal authorities – including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem – have insisted that the shooting was justified and that the ICE officer who shot Good was “following his training.”

At a press conference last week, Noem said that any death is a “tragedy.” However, she alleged that Good was trying to block officers with her vehicle and attempted to hit the ICE agent with her car before she was shot.

Noem has described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” – although Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has called her allegations “garbage.”

• See Related: JD Vance Claims ICE Agent Has 'Absolute Immunity' In Minneapolis Shooting, Legal Experts Disagree
• See Related: Community Raises Over $680K For 6-Year-Old Of Renee Nicole Good After ICE Shooting

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