ICE ‘Not Welcome’ In Maplewood, Town Committee Members Say

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — “We do not welcome ICE in Maplewood.” That’s the stance of five Maplewood Township Committee members in the wake of a highly controversial shooting that took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On Friday evening, the township committee in Maplewood issued a joint statement about the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. It was signed by Mayor Victor De Luca, Deputy Mayor Malia Herman, and committee members Nancy Adams, Dean Dafis, and Jane Collins-Colding (read the full statement below).

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 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, including in Essex County.

MAPLEWOOD TOWN COMMITTEE STATEMENT

The Maplewood Township Committee issued the following joint statement about the shooting and ICE operations in the area:

“The Maplewood Township Committee extends its deepest condolences to the children and family of Renee Nicole Good, who was fatally shot by a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis. We join with Minneapolis elected leaders in demanding a full, independent and transparent investigation. Accountability is essential to justice.

“The Trump Administration's militarized immigration raids are destabilizing and spreading fear in communities across the country. Sending masked agents into our streets is not making us safer. No one in America should live under siege.

“We stand with our immigrant brothers and sisters in Maplewood and across the nation. We will uphold the constitutional rights and liberties for all and under no circumstances will we participate in dividing people based on citizenship or immigration status. We do not condone actions that intimidate or harm our community.

“In 2017, the Maplewood Township Committee unanimously adopted a resolution ‘Expressing Maplewood’s Commitment to Equal, Respectful and Dignified Treatment of All People, Regardless of Their Immigrant Status and to Remain a Welcoming Community.’ The Welcoming Resolution prohibits Township employees from reporting on individuals based on immigration status. Additionally, the Township may not expend funds or resources to enforce federal immigration laws, unless ordered to do so by the courts or the state.

“The Maplewood Police Department follows New Jersey Attorney General guidelines, under which our local police CANNOT AND WILL NOT:

• Stop, question, arrest, search, or detain any individual based solely on actual or suspected immigration status
• Ask the immigration status of any individual, unless doing so is necessary and relevant to the ongoing investigation of a crime
• Enforce warrants that have not been signed by a judge
• Participate in ICE’s civil immigration enforcement operations

“In April 2025, the Township Committee unanimously adopted a Resolution In Support of the New Jersey Immigrant Trust Act. We call on the Legislature and Governor to act NOW!

“As elected officials, we will not stand idly by while constitutional protections erode. We urge our residents to speak out and peacefully exercise their democratic rights.

“We do not welcome ICE in Maplewood. We choose compassion over cruelty, truth over fear, and dignity over division. We stand together as a community.”

NOEM: 'ACT OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM'

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.”

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