South Florida activists joined others nationwide in a weekend of protests following the deadly shooting of Renee Good, a mother of three and a U.S. citizen, by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minnesota.
“Renee Nicole Good should be alive today. Her death has sparked grief and outrage across the country as the latest horrific incident in a mounting toll of enormous harm and horror caused by ICE," said Leah Greenberg, Co-Executive Director of Indivisible, one of several groups to organize the protests.
"This weekend, people all over are coming together not just to mourn the lives lost to ICE violence, but to confront a pattern of harm that has torn families apart and terrorized our communities," said Greenberg. "We demand justice for Renee, ICE out of our communities, and action from our elected leaders. Enough is enough."
Trump administration officials said the shooting in Minnesota and another in Portland involving two other people were acts of self-defense against drivers who “weaponized” their vehicles to attack officers.
Indivisible, a social movement organization that formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, and other states, including Florida.
In South Florida, the first of several weekend protests began late Friday in Coral Springs at the corner of Sample and University. It was organized by "Joyful Resistance," which is calling on ICE to end "violent and abusive practices." They also held a vigil to remember the more than two dozen people who have died while in ICE custody.
Other planned protests in South Florida included one in Boca Raton organized by several groups: Indivisible Boca Raton, Hope and Action Indivisible of Broward, Palm Beach Indivisibles, South PBC Indivisible and PBC Indivisible Immigration Coalition.
The coalition held its protest Saturday morning outside the Home Depot at 9820 Glades Road, Boca Raton in response "to escalating ICE raids and increased threats to immigrant workers" and the controversial shooting in Minnesota.
The protest drew about 500 people, according to the Palm Beach Sheriffs Office, which reported it was "largely peaceful and orderly."
In a statement, Myra Kremenitzer, leader of Indivisible Boca Raton, said the woman's death in Minneapolis "shows exactly where this [ICE] enforcement regime is heading.”
“Fear, violence and loss of life are the consequences-and silence from powerful corporations only make it worse," Kremenitzer said.
The coalition is demanding that Home Depot refuse cooperation with ICE enforcement efforts that target day laborers, and to "publicly commit to stopping policies that expose workers to detention, deportation and abuse."
Home Depot company officials have repeatedly denied cooperating with ICE or other federal immigration authorities.
"This is untrue — we aren't coordinating with ICE," Home Depot company officials posted on X in late November. "We aren't involved in ICE activities, and we aren't notified when they are going to happen."
"We're required to follow all federal and local rules and regulations in every market where we operate," the company noted.
