After Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman, was killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis Jan. 7, organizations nationwide demanded accountability.  

Groups such as Indivisible, The American Civil Liberties Union, 50501 and more called for an “ICE Out For Good Weekend of Action,” on Jan. 10 and 11. Just 24 hours after their call to action, over 1,000 events were planned, according to Indivisible. 

The 50501 movement, which stands for “50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement.” was born on reddit in January 2025 and manifested into reality with the first protests held in February. 

Logan Keith, spokesperson for 50501 said Good’s death was a disgusting but predictable “state-sponsored murder.” 

“This is a pattern of state violence, enacted by the Trump administration, enacted by ICE upon the civilian population of Minneapolis that resulted in the death and brutal murder of a mother,” he said. 

In both the day of action in response to Good’s death and the Jan. 20 “Free America Walkout” with Women’s March, they called for the complete abolishment of ICE. 

“Remove ICE from our communities, we do not want them,” he said. “ICE needs to be abolished, it’s being used as a violent military arm at President Trump’s discretion to terrorize communities that he doesn’t agree with.” 

32 people died in ICE custody in 2025, the most in over two decades, and 68,440 people were being held in detention by mid-December. 

According to the CATO Institute, 65% of individuals had no criminal convictions and more than 93% were not convicted of violent offenses. This data comes from the 204,297 people ICE detained from Oct. 1, 2024 to June 14, 2025.

On Jan. 9, Kent residents took to the streets for a vigil honoring Good “and all who are suffering under ICE violence.”

Kent Resists, a subset of Portage Resists and a grassroots organization committed to peaceful protest and direct action, hosted the vigil at the gazebo on West Main and Franklin. Vivien Sandlund, a Kent resident and active member of Kent Resists helped in putting the event together. She said over 100 people showed up with feelings of resistance and hope.

“We were mourning and sad, and at the same time we were determined to make change and make it better,” she said. “Make the attacks against innocent people stop and to build a better future.”

The organization is committed to respectful, nonviolent protesting that resists the undermining of human rights, violations of the constitution, stifling of free speech, denials of due process and detainment of people, Sandlund said.

“We welcome everyone in Kent,” she said. “We don’t want immigrants seized, we don’t want people of color seized, we don’t want protestors seized and taken away by the government.” 

To do so, community members are speaking out against the violence and showing up to protests, demanding that things get better. Sandlund emphasized the importance of students showing up as well. Kent sees a lot of “old grey-haired” protestors, but needs to see more students working together with like-minded community members, she said. 

“The important thing about getting out in the streets and coming to community meetings to organize is that it builds a sense of community and you don’t feel so alone when you’re doing that,” she said. 

University of Minnesota’s student newspaper, The Minnesota Daily, is getting involved with coverage of the Minneapolis vigil and is planning for future coverage. Sam Hill, managing editor of The Daily, said one of the biggest responsibilities as a journalist is sticking to democratic values and institutional norms.

“Specifically with ICE and the current administration, it’s easy to construe a lot of that as political,” Hill said. “But I do think in particular with this subject, you’ve got to keep looking for how elected officials are not sticking to the script with things or figuring out what is going on and the implications for democratic institutions.” 

Similarly, Sandlund noted 2026 as the 250 year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and said we need to follow those ideals that are central to democracy: universal liberty and equality for everyone. 

“We need to live up to those,” she said. “They’ve really been aspirational, and we’ve never really fully lived up to them, but we are heading backwards now,” she said.  

At UMN, there has been greater emphasis on being safe as a journalist and keeping sources safe, Hill said.

There is an explicit anonymous source policy in consideration of safety concerns or fear for general wellbeing for specific sources such as international students, faculty or protestors. The Daily has noticed those with left-leaning beliefs have a greater concern with death threats and university administrators are concerned with the possibility of funding cuts, according to Hill. 

To be safe as a journalist covering ICE and immigration, students have been advised by the UMN journalism school to go out with a buddy, do a risk assessment, watch for signs that chemicals might be thrown, review exit points and be careful when moving in and out of crowds and interacting with law enforcement.

Before UMN’s semester started this year, students received an email from the Office of the President Jan. 14. 

“Our international students and scholars, and our faculty, staff and students of color—regardless of citizenship—belong here and make our University, community and state better. We condemn any actions that would disrupt the learning environment, the social cohesion and the engaged campus life that make the University of Minnesota such a remarkable place. It’s our home, and together we protect our home and each other. We urge you to remain peaceful while expressing your views in the coming days,” the email stated.

Nonviolent resistance has been on the rise as casualties at the hands of ICE officers increase. Keith said community members are marching, advocating with elected officials, walking out of work, organizing strikes and escorting migrants and immigrants.

“To me, this gives me hope because that shows me the community’s pulling together to fight this oppression,” Keith said. 

Hill said reporters at The Daily are motivated to cover the topic. 

“Despite the terrible situation, I think this is a really good way for people and journalists specifically to get involved in what’s going on,” he said. “Journalists always get really excited about having things to cover that they care about – important things.” 

Keith said students and community members can get involved by forming or joining local organizations that help promote democracy and protect immigrant lives. 

He recommends not only calling and writing representatives, but to show up to district offices, like the Feb. 17 day of action, with demands while also being mindful of where and how money is spent and researching what companies or elected officials support ICE. 

“We’re still powerful, we still hold a lot of power in our voice and our vote and also our dollars,” Keith said.

Savana Capp is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].