Alaskans Protest ICE Violence in Minneapolis
ICE’s first known murder of a US citizen in 2026 was met with public scrutiny all over the country, demanding accountability for the agency’s continued use of illegal force.Anchorage citizens gathered in front of the local DHS building on the evening of January 7, following the horrific events in Minneapolis earlier that morning. Contact with ICE agents became fatal for Renee Nicole Good, who was legally observing an ICE operation in her neighborhood from the driver seat of her car. ICE’s first known murder of a US citizen in 2026 was met with public scrutiny all over the country, demanding accountability for the agency’s continued use of illegal force.
Immediately, the US Secretary of DHS, Kristi Noem, described the ICE agent’s gunfire as an act of self-defense, claiming Good had attempted to run over ICE agents with her car. Recent footage recorded by ICE shows Good’s last words to the officer were “I’m not mad at you,” before he circles her vehicle and fires multiple shots through the windshield and the driver’s window as she drove away attempting to flee the scene. On January 8, a Venezuelan couple in Portland were victims in a shooting by US Border Patrol agents, where DHS also released a statement claiming the couple had weaponized their vehicle against ICE agents. Their health conditions are not yet clear, and multiple arrests have been made at the protest following these events. Anchorage’s Party for Socialism and Liberation were the first in organizing a local protest to outcry ICE’s murder of Good in a matter of hours, gathering 35 community members in below-zero temperatures. Taylor, as a part of the Coordinating Committee at PSL, hoped to mobilize Anchorage residents in the face of injustice. “Regarding the murder of Renee, to claim that we in Anchorage are so far removed is a cop out... our community response when the Anchorage 40 were flown and detained here from Tacoma last summer is an example of how our voice matters, even here... In mobilizing against ICE, we don’t have a stake in defending the system that’s created it. Democrats embrace reforming ICE, and Republicans openly embrace the violence. In either scenario, ICE keeps running. We also don’t wait for an election cycle to organize.” Taylor’s been organizing with Anchorage’s PSL for about 2 years now. “I’ve felt there’s no other outlet that has been consistent enough in mobilizing directly with the community. We’ve created a rapid response network, receiving intel and working directly with families of those abducted by ICE here in Anchorage.” Follow psl_anchorage on Instagram and find them on Facebook to learn more about their work, including their Bystander Training held on January 11th, informing the public on how to safely and legally observe ICE in action. |