On Tuesday evening, about 150 protesters gathered outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility (ICE) in Downtown Fresno, holding picket signs and chanting in response to the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE officer the day before.
The protest made local headlines after a KSEE24/CBS47 photojournalist was struck by a vehicle. The driver stopped, and the police who were monitoring the protest immediately responded to check on the individual. The station aired the footage the photojournalist captured when he was hit and confirmed that he is OK.
The demonstration was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Fresno Resistance and other advocacy organizations. Organizers said the protest was intended to condemn ICE and the Trump administration’s immigration policies, adding that the killing intensified fear within immigrant communities and prompted an urgent call to action.
On Wednesday in Minneapolis, Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE officer during a federal enforcement action. According to the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration, the officer fired after saying that Good attempted to strike law enforcement with her vehicle.
Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, had no known criminal record beyond minor traffic matters, according to family accounts.
Protesters also pointed to other recent incidents involving federal immigration enforcement, including a shooting earlier this week in Portland, Oregon, where ICE officers shot two people during an operation, according to local reports.
Demonstrators said the incidents reflect what they see as a broader pattern of escalating force tied to immigration enforcement nationwide.
“Whether it was Renee, who was killed, or the two people who were shot in Portland, these are the reasons we need to be out here,” said Princess Rios, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation Central Valley chapter. “ICE is not welcome here.”
Glen Delpit, a demonstrator, said they felt compelled to protest not only because of the recent killing, but also because of what they described as a growing period of political unrest nationwide.
“It was murder,” Delpit said. “There’s no accountability. They are going to keep doing what they’re doing, and that’s where we’re headed — fascism.”
Protesters marched from the ICE Field Office at 33 L St. through Downtown Fresno toward the Fresno Superior Court, where organizers said additional speeches would take place. As they moved through the area, demonstrators chanted “Sí se puede” and called for ICE to leave undocumented communities alone.
According to ABC30, a protester waved a burning American flag at one point during the demonstration.
Another protester, who asked to be identified only as “Nine” due to safety concerns related to being undocumented, said she felt a responsibility to attend the protest because she wanted to stand up for her community.
“It’s a lie,” Nine said, referring to the federal government’s account of the shooting. “They’re trying to make people believe what happened was justified, and it wasn’t. There’s no excuse for why they’re killing people or for the hatred directed at immigrant communities and those who support us.”
While the demonstration remained peaceful, the atmosphere reflected a moment shaped by grief, fear and urgency, as protesters gathered to mourn those killed and to call for accountability from federal officials.
