Colorado immigration advocates rally after Minneapolis ICE shooting
Communities across the country are standing up in the wake of the tragedy in Minneapolis. Video of a woman in Minneapolis, being shot and killed by an Immigration Customs and Enforcement agent came as a shock to immigrants and allies in Colorado. In the video, a woman, now identified by family as Renee Nicole Good, can be seen driving away from ICE agents as one of the officers starts shooting at her car.
Only hours after the shooting in Colorado, dozens of people came together outside the GEO Group ICE detention facility in Aurora to rally and express their frustrations with the incident.
"I'm standing here for our community, our neighbors, our brothers, our friends, and angry -- defiant over the murder in Minneapolis," said Arnie Carter, an immigrants' rights activist and ally.
"Just like anyone else, a badge does not give you the right to kill people," said Jeanette Vizguerra, an immigrants' rights activist who was recently released from ICE detention custody last month.
Protestors outside the ICE facility called this shooting an injustice.
"It was gut wrenching, blatant murder," said Carter.
Stacy Hervey, a professor at Metropolitan State University of Denver and an expert in police procedures, says what really happened is still hard to say.
"I think it's going to be the totality of the circumstances: what was going on before, and what was the severity of the crime in question," said Hervey. "A car can be a weapon, obviously. If it hits someone, it can kill them, but did the officer fear for his life, and whether deadly force was justified in this instance?"
The assistant secretary for ICE shared a statement alleging the woman did weaponize her vehicle, attempting to run over law enforcement officers, and the ICE officer fired defensive shots in fear for his life and the lives of other officers and the public.
However, both Hervey and people rallying around the migrant community say this shooting does speak to what they say is a bigger issue with ICE operations.
"I think it's going to bring up a lot of great questions that we really need to have answered as to what we want ICE agents to do, and how far we want them to go to take people into custody," said Hervey.
"Seeing what happened, it's not just my immigrant community that faces risks, but also my allies, our people that are there to support and to defend under their First Amendment. They're also facing risks," said Vizguerra.
