Hundreds of people took to the streets of Newark on Thursday night to protest the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in communities. Many took part in protests nationwide in response to an ICE officer shooting and killing 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good on Wednesday.
The Trump administration maintains the ICE officer was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot Good through her car window.
A few hundred immigrant rights advocates from various groups gathered downtown at Military Park, carrying signs that read, “ICE is not welcome here” and “Stop ICE Terror Now.”
Protestors chanted in defiance of the Trump administration and demanded justice for Good. The gathering was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation with support from Resistencia en Acción, a grassroots volunteer-led organization in New Jersey.
Elsewhere in Newark, a smaller group gathered for a prayer vigil outside Delaney Hall. The privately-operated immigration detention center has been the scene of several high-profile events in the wake of the immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump. Most recently, Delaney Hall faced scrutiny following the death of detainee Jean Wilson Brutus, who ICE officials say passed away on Dec. 12 from natural causes.
Members at the vigil outside the detention facility also held candles and honored the life of Good.
In Trenton on Thursday, advocates cheered as a legislative committee approved a trio of bills targeting local cooperation with ICE and extra protections for immigrants. The legislation will be up for a full vote on Monday, although Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Union) reportedly expressed worry it could make New Jersey a target of the Trump administration.
