Three days earlier, Corey Ruiz was fatally shot in Madison, Wisconsin. Nine days before that, Joan Sebastian Guerrero was brutally murdered by ICE in Maine, in front of his one-year-old daughter. And just the night before, word came through that the “drugs” DHS had used to smear Lorenzo Salgado Araujo had tested negative, too late to undo the damage of the accusation. This is the backdrop against which the riders gathered: a rolling body count that never seems to pause long enough for anyone to catch their breath.

The day's program opened a block from George Floyd Square.

Tiffany Dunlap, defendant number 17 of the Righteous 39, took the mic first, speaking of the repression being brought against activists, followed by Michelle Gross of Communities United Against Police Brutality (CUAPB). Then came Jeanelle Austin, the Square's lead caretaker, who tied together the history of police oppression in South Minneapolis. She said, “We have to keep organizing, we have to keep standing, we have to keep fighting for each other, for our neighbors. We have to keep shouting from the rooftops to make sure we organize more people to stand with us so we can end the state-sanctioned violence.”

From there, the ride carried the crowd to Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue, an intersection that holds real weight in the history of Metro Surge, as the site of the first mass ICE action in Minneapolis under Donald Trump’s second administration. Isavela López described the ties between historical oppression of indigenous Americans and modern police repression of immigrant communities. She faced charges for nothing more than standing up for her neighbors during that raid.

López reminded the crowd, “It's more than me at this point. These are people that want to just help their neighbors; that have honest hearts; that want to learn more; that want to be advocates. I know at the end of the day there will be justice.” López's case is not an outlier. The same repression shows up in the cases of the Righteous 39 and the Minnesota 15, and in the century-long sentences being handed to activists in Texas.

A member of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles spoke after her about the atrocities families are facing every day.

The ride's next stop carried a different kind of weight, the memorial for Alex Pretti. Anusha Ramaswami of the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) led a moment of silence here, honoring Pretti alongside the latest life lost in Madison.

Then there was a stop at the memorial for Renee Good. Here, Alissa Washington, the director of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council, spoke of her childhood friend Terrence Franklin, murdered by police in May 2013. She also spoke of her cousin Stephen Washington, who died in prison because of officer negligence, days before he was set to walk free.

Washington spoke of her own ongoing fight – 20 years spent trying to win freedom for her wrongfully incarcerated fiancé, Cornelius “Corn” Jackson, locked away for a crime he never committed. On July 2, Washington’s 72-year-old uncle was detained by ICE. As the group gathered that Saturday, he was being processed for deportation. Washington is now raising his four children, and she asked the crowd for donations of school supplies for those kids, which people can arrange through the Instagram page for the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (@tcc4j).

Washington stated, “When I say these struggles are personal, I mean every word. I had mourned my childhood friend because of police violence here in Minneapolis. I have buried my cousin because of police negligence here in Minnesota. I fight every day for the freedom of the man I love. And now, I am helping raise my uncle's children because ICE decided to tear another family apart. This movement isn't something I clock into, this is my life. This is my family!”

The ride closed where it began. Angie Cisneros Rosero of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) took the mic for the day's final word, “Let us remember the strength in our broken hearts. They see us united. They see people who continue to fight even with tears in their eyes. The problem is not that people don't care. We need collective power. Power so strong that the system can no longer govern in the same way. The only way we will see justice, is if we the people organize and make it happen.”

MIRAC currently has a campaign to get Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and all gubernatorial candidates to sign an executive order regarding a number of issues discussed here. If you are interested in signing a petition to pressure these politicians to act, please go to https://c.org/kCzgWPgx48.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #MIRAC #AlexPretti #ReneeGood

Santa Ana, CA – El 24 de enero, cerca de 100 miembros de la comunidad de toda Santa Ana se congregaron en la esquina de las calles Bristol y 1st, coreando: “¡ICE asesino, fuera de nuestras calles!” Los manifestantes exigieron justicia para Alex Pretti, la víctima más reciente de los agentes federales asesinos que aterrorizan a Minnesota. También exigieron la salida de ICE del condado de Orange y el fin de las deportaciones en todo el país.

Diana Terreros, de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario Condado de Orange (CSO OC), inauguró el evento declarando: “Estamos aquí porque un agente de la Patrulla Fronteriza disparó y mató a Alex Pretti esta misma mañana en Minnesota. Alex Pretti era un observador comunitario de ICE y enfermero de cuidados intensivos. ¡Los agentes que lo abatieron a tiros a plena luz del día le dispararon más de diez veces, como unos cobardes!”

Terreros también declaró: “¡Estamos aquí en solidaridad con Minnesota! ¡También estamos aquí porque nuestra propia ciudad ha estado bajo ataque por parte de agentes del ICE desde que Trump asumió el cargo, y esta semana han desatado una ofensiva en Santa Ana y en todo el condado de Orange! Los queremos fuera de nuestra ciudad, fuera de nuestro condado.”

Matthew Compton, miembro de la Organización Socialista Camino a la Libertad (OSCL), declaró: “En Santa Ana hemos observado un aumento en las redadas del ICE y en el uso de armas de fuego contra los observadores del ICE. Pero cuando llega el Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana, apuntan sus armas contra las personas que están luchando contra la agenda de Trump.”

“¡Estas matanzas, toda esta violencia, no terminarán por sí solas! ¡Debemos ponerles fin! ¡Debemos organizarnos y luchar colectivamente! Esta administración permite que ocurra esta violencia y niega cualquier tipo de rendición de cuentas. ¡Por eso, nosotros, el pueblo, debemos exigirla! ¡Debemos luchar por ella!” instó Rain Mendoza, del Comité de Inmigración de la CSO.

Thomas Crisp, de la organización Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), declaró: “Cuando los padres son arrebatados de sus hijos por matones enmascarados, cuando Keith Porter o Renee Good reciben disparos por intentar resistir la brutalidad de manera no violenta, estas son violaciones de la dignidad humana”. También convocaron a guardar un momento de silencio mientras se colocaban velas y flores para honrar a las víctimas de los agentes del ICE.

Los conductores hicieron sonar sus bocinas en señal de apoyo durante todo el evento y mientras los manifestantes marchaban por la calle Bristol. Los manifestantes ocuparon todos los carriles de tráfico y portaban pancartas exigiendo la salida de ICE de Santa Ana y justicia para las víctimas de ICE. Consignas como “¡Chinga la migra!” y “¡Legalización para todos!” resonaron en los vecindarios adyacentes.

La protesta fue organizada por CSO OC, con el apoyo de otros grupos locales, incluidos OSCL, CLUE y otros.

CSO lucha por el control comunitario de la policía y por la legalización de todas las personas indocumentadas. Tiene reuniones generales cada tercer jueves en Santa Ana; se les puede contactar en Instagram a través de @cso.oc o en Facebook, buscando CSO Orange County.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #DerechosDeLosInmigrantes #AlexPretti #ICE #CSOOC

Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, February 7, Santa Ana residents gathered to honor the one-month anniversary of the murder of Renee Good by Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathon Ross. The demonstration highlighted other victims murdered by ICE including Keith Porter, Alex Pretti, Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez and Geraldo Lunas Campos.

The crowd gathered on the corner of Bristol and 1st, a busy intersection. They marched across the intersection chanting, “Killer ICE off our streets!” and “Migra fuera de Santa Ana!”

Cars and pedestrians passing by the spirited crowd honked and chanted in support. Santa Ana has been hit with heavy ICE raids since the summer of 2025. Since then, the residents of Santa Ana have been protesting ICE, doing barrio walks to inform the community of their rights, and ICE watching.

The demonstration was put on by Community Service Organization Orange County in response to a call to action by the Legalization for All Network.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #ReneeGood #AlexPretti #L4A #CSOOC

Franklin Park, IL – Community members came together, February 7, in a powerful action to honor the lives stolen by the racist terror of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Over 25 people gathered at Casa DuPage Workers Center in Wheaton, for the collective construction and decoration of three altars for the martyrs Silverio Villegas González, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti.

The event was organized by Casa DuPage Workers Center, with support from ALMAS – Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs, and Latin Chamber of Commerce of DuPage. They acted in response to the national call for demonstrations issued by the Legalization for All Network, marking one month since the murder of Renee Good at the hands of ICE and demanding justice for all those murdered by ICE.

Participants created paper flowers, papel picado (colorful paper with designs cut into it), paintings to keep the martyrs’ memories alive, and symbolism and slogans to represent them and their involvement in the struggle.

The partner of Villegas Gonzalez, Blanca Mora, also attended the event. Through tears, she thanked the assembled participants for their support while her family continues to grieve. Blanca put on Silverio’s favorite music while the altars were constructed.

Later, the crowd moved to Franklin Park, to the location where González was murdered by ICE, for a candlelight vigil. The air was filled with the chants of the mass movement: “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” “Silverio vive, la lucha sigue!” “ICE mata!” and of course “Chinga la migra!” The demand was clear and unified: ICE out, end raids and deportations, and send the murderous agents to prison.

“Silverio, Renee, and Alex are alive compañeros! They are alive in our struggle for justice! They remind us to fight and keep fighting until their murderers are in jail!” declared Cristobal Cavazos, executive director of Casa DuPage Workers Center. Cavazos connected the mass struggle now being waged to the cultural traditions of the Day of the Dead, stating “We the living have not forgotten Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, Renee Nicole Good, or Alex Jeffrey Pretti, we remember them, and we carry on their struggle, and in this way, they are resurrected.”

The event demonstrated that collective grief and healing foster a commitment to fight back. As the crowd dispersed, a group photo was taken and participants vowed to work together to cultivate a culture of resistance.

#FranklinParkIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #ReneeGood #AlexPretti

Chicago, IL— Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Chicago’s freezing wind on Saturday, February 7 to honor one month since the murder of Renee Good at the hands of ICE and to demand justice for those killed by ICE. The protest was called by the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda in response to a national call for action from the Legalization for All Network.

In Chicago, the demand for justice and accountability is targeted at Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen Burke, who has consistently stood on the side of corrupt and violent police officers and against the people’s movements.

A week ago, prompted by the growing public demand for ICE accountability, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed an executive order directing the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to watch for illegal activity by ICE agents and report felony charges to the State’s Attorney at the mayor’s direction. Burke opposed the order in an internal memo to her staff, calling it “inappropriate,” and claiming it would interfere with her office’s ability to prosecute federal agents.

Nick Sous, an organizer with the Arab American Action Network (AAAN), called out Burke’s hypocrisy in his remarks at the protest, “The only thing in the way of Eileen Burke prosecuting killer cops or ICE agents is Eileen Burke.”

In her first week in office in December 2024, Burke dropped the charges against Oak Lawn Police officer Patrick O’Donnell, who had helped beat Arab youth Hadi Abuatelah within inches of his life, along with two other officers in 2022.

Johnnie Showers, a member of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and wife of wrongful conviction survivor Devon Showers, also spoke at the protest. Showers has seen the corruption of CPD and the state’s attorney’s office firsthand in her struggle to free her husband and called for solidarity in the fight to hold both ICE and CPD accountable.

Showers said that ICE and CPD are “working together against us, the working class, the ones that pay their bills,” Showers said. “They are kidnapping us and killing us in the jails. So we need to stand in solidarity and make sure we stop them. We need to fight back.”

Marien Casillas Pebellón, executive director of the West Suburban Action Project (PASO), addressed the crowd and raised the collective demand for accountability for the continued violence on the part of ICE agents and the entire Trump administration against our communities.

“We want ICE out of everywhere,” Pebellón said. “We want those in charge prosecuted. They accuse us of being criminals. The criminals are in the White House right now”

Angel Naranjos, a leader in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, closed the rally with spirited remarks, “If the past few weeks have taught us anything, it’s that things must change and they must change fast.”

Naranjos continued, “Donald Trump and his corporate media love to say that we are domestic terrorists when we confront ICE—that we should protest peacefully. But we say it is right to rebel.”

After the program, the protesters took to the streets and marched north to Trump Tower, chanting a message for Trump and all his criminal ICE agents, “Lock them up! Lock them up!”

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #CAARPR #ReneeGood #AlexPretti #L4A #AAAN

Portland, OR – On February 1, over 1000 Portlanders protested outside of Portland City Hall to stand against the killing of Alex Pretti, Renee Good and all those murdered by ICE, and to demand city government revoke the permit for the Portland ICE facility. The protest, organized by Portland Contra Las Deportaciones marched two miles from city hall to the Portland ICE facility.

Speaker Holly Brown called out Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and city councilors, saying months of cries to shut down the facility have been met with “not only inaction, but deliberate stalling, condescension, and lies.”

Protesters chanted “Do your jobs!” targeting Wilson and other city officials. Another rally speaker, Beatriz Ibarra, noted Custom Border Patrol agents shot two Portland residents just one day after Renee Good was murdered in Minneapolis. “Our mayor and city council send us nothing more than thoughts and prayers, while ICE agents rampage our streets,” Ibarra said.

Once at the ICE facility, furious protesters stormed the driveway, occupying the street and gated entrance. They began banging on the walls, shaking the gate, yelling “We aren’t scared of you!” as agents began shooting projectiles from the roof into the crowd.

ICE’s initial violent attempts at crowd control did not deter protesters. When federal officers opened the gates, they launched tear gas canisters and flash bangs into the crowd. One protester described the scene, saying “it was like a war zone.”

Just the day before, federal agents gassed a crowd of thousands, including families and union leaders, sparking public outrage. The increasing use of chemical weapons in the heart of Southwest Portland increases the pressure on city officials to take action to shut down the facility.

Tear gas used against protesters on Sunday spread throughout SW Portland, even crossing the Willamette River impacting neighborhoods on the East side. Despite the volume of gas being deployed, a large crowd stood their ground outside the ICE facility until after midnight.

In response to the chemical warfare used against protesters, Mayor Keith Wilson put out a statement telling ICE agents to resign and stating he will begin implementing fees on the facility. Protesters cried out that this is not enough and will not solve the problem. They remain undeterred in their demand to close down the facility.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #ICE #KillerICE #AlexPretti #PDXCD #Feature

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the Legalization for All (L4A) Network.

One month after ICE killing of Renee Good: National Day of Action in solidarity with Minneapolis February 7

ICE OUT!

Stop deportations!

Justice for Alex Pretti, Renee Good and all victims of ICE terror!

Legalization for all!

The Legalization for All (L4A) Network is calling on all affiliated cities to act NOW. Community observer Renee Good was killed by ICE on January 7th. This is why L4A is calling for a national day of action on the one month anniversary.

As ICE continues their terror — raiding, killing, and disappearing undocumented immigrants and also U.S. citizens, we must stand up and fight back. Together we will protect our Mexicano, Centroamericano, Somali families. As well as anyone under attack by ICE.

On January 14th, Nicaraguan immigrant Victor Manuel Díaz (detained in Texas) and Mexican immigrant Heber Sanchaz Domínguez (detained in Georgia) died under ICE custody and under very suspicious circumstances. In the last month a total of six undocumented immigrants have died at the hands of ICE.

Minnesota taught us all that when we unite and fight back, we can kick ICE and local authorities out of our barrios. Even Border Patrol’s Greg Bovino was sent packing.

Join us in demanding ICE OUT! Stop deportations!

Justice for Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Keith Porter, and all victims of ICE terror! Legalization for all!

#ImmigrantRights #L4A #ICE #KillerICE #ReneeGood #AlexPretti #KeithPorter #Feature

Chicago, IL – On Saturday, January 31, surrounded by community activists who have been in the streets defending immigrants against the occupation by ICE troops, Mayor Brandon Johnson signed a historic executive order.

The executive order makes Chicago the first city to require the police to investigate and refer federal agents for criminal prosecution of felony violations.

“Nobody is above the law. There is no such thing as ‘absolute immunity’ in America,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “The lawlessness of Trump’s militarized immigration agents puts the lives and well-being of every Chicagoan in immediate danger. With today’s order, we are putting ICE on notice in our city. Chicago will not sit idly by while Trump floods federal agents into our communities and terrorizes our residents.”

The federal government has stated they are planning another ICE surge in the Chicago area in March. Mayor Johnson’s call for prosecution is in response to absence of legal repercussions in the wake of the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago and the killings of Silverio Villegas González in the Chicago suburb of Franklin Park, and Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Frank Chapman of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression said, “I was proud to stand with Mayor Johnson yesterday when he signed an historic executive order ordering CPD to actively engage in holding ICE agents accountable by filing complaints with the States Attorney office.”

State’s Attorney Eileen Burke is well known for her failure to stand up to ICE. She has dodged demands to investigate and close the Broadview ICE facility, notorious for reports of inhumane treatment of detainees. Burke also refused to prosecute the ICE officers who killed Silverio Villegas González, an immigrant worker shot to death by an ICE officer after dropping his child off at school in Franklin Park in September.

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #ICE #BrandonJohnson #AlexPretti #KillerICE #CAARPR #Feature

“We took action today to ask the Target corporation to lift their powerful voice and say ICE out of Minnesota. In West Milwaukee today a Target manager clearly stated that their stores are private property. Why don’t they mark it as such? That would create a much safer environment for workers and shoppers. It would prevent ICE from doing raids inside the stores,” said Pam Fendt, the president of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council. 

Fendt continued, “They proved our point. They could do something about ICE actions in our neighboring state, and so far they are choosing not to. When local police arrived today, they said Target can decide who’s in their store because it’s private property. It was an act of solidarity today to help expose Target’s double standard.”

Individuals passed out leaflets in both English and Spanish about ICE to customers as they entered or exited. After the reading was finished, the group chanted “What do we want? ICE out! When do we want it? Now!” and sang Solidarity Forever while holding signs that read “Target, speak out! ICE out of Minnesota!” in both English and Spanish.

After only about ten minutes, West Milwaukee police officers showed up on the scene to disrupt the action. The store manager stood nearby and became very hostile with the group of activists. Despite her disposition, the manager was presented with a letter to the Target CEO to send it to her superiors. As the police shepherded the group out of the store, they once again sang “Which side are you on, Target, which side are you on?”

“Target demonstrated today that their security team is prepared to kick people out of their store if they think it's necessary. If ICE agents come in without a warrant and threaten the safety of our community, will Target kick them out, too?” said Piper Hogan, a member of the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals Local 5000 and the Young Worker’s Committee. “That's what we're demanding. We won't sit idly by when ICE comes to terrorize Milwaukee, and neither should these corporations.”

The national corporate headquarters for the popular chain resides in Minneapolis, where for months federal immigration forces have terrorized communities. On January 8, video came out from Richfield, Minnesota, showing 17-year-old Jonathan Aguilar Garcia being tackled and dragged out of a Target, shortly followed by another of his co-workers.

Target has been the focus of a boycott stemming from a 2025 decision to their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and their apparent willingness to collaborate with the ICE terror in Minnesota has only added fuel to the fire. Thus far, since the rollout of the boycott last year, Target has lost money – reports show a 19% decrease in profits from the prior year on top of a five-year low on stock prices – and their corporate offices have done some major restructuring, including 1800 corporate jobs being cut and CEO Brian Cornell stepping down.

For anyone interested in taking similar actions in their own communities, they can visit iceoutnowmn.com for a tool kit and other resources.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #Labor #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Target #AlexPretti