Anti-ICE Protest Draws Crowd In Montclair: 'Immigrants Make America Great'

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A protest in the name of Renee Nicole Good took place in Montclair last weekend.

A large crowd of people gathered for an “ICE Out For Good” rally near Church Street and Bloomfield Avenue on Sunday. Demonstrators hefted signs that read: “Say Her Name,” and “Immigrants Make America Great.”

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 last 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

Protests have been taking place across the nation, including in Montclair. Here’s why demonstrators hit the streets on Sunday, organizers said:

“On Jan. 7, an American citizen was killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This killing is part of a broader pattern of unchecked violence, impunity, and abuse carried out by federal immigration enforcement agencies against members of our communities. A broad coalition of groups across the country is calling for a coordinated Ice Out For Good Weekend of Action on Saturday, Jan. 10 and Sunday, Jan. 11 to demand accountability, honor the life lost, and make visible the human cost of ICE’s actions.”

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.”

Article continues below

Others have contested that version of events, however.

“Congress must act to hold ICE and the Department of Homeland Security fully accountable,” said Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, a Montclair resident running for Congress.

Gill said Good’s shooting is the “predictable result” of an administration that has turned immigration enforcement into a “tool of fear and violence.”

“There needs to be a thorough, transparent investigation into this killing, stronger oversight of immigration enforcement, and legislation that protects immigrants' basic human rights, and ensures deadly force is never used unnecessarily,” said Gill, who supported Sunday’s protest.

Cammie Croft, another Montclair resident running for Congress in the 11th district, also denounced the shooting.

“ICE shooting and killing a legal observer during a raid underscores how dangerous it is to turn our cities into militarized anti-immigrant zones,” Croft said.

“We don’t make people safer by flooding cities with armed agents, often masked, and detention centers,” Croft said. “We make people safer by protecting due process, keeping families together and investing in communities – not terrorizing them.”

• 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

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.