In Minneapolis, law enforcement officials detained several dozen protesters on Saturday as they dispersed a demonstration outside a federal government building. The gathering was held to mark one month since the passing of Renee Good, a Minnesota resident who died in an encounter with an immigration enforcement officer.
On January 7, Renee Good was fatally shot while driving away from immigration agents in a Minneapolis neighborhood. Her death, along with that of fellow local resident Alex Pretti weeks later, has stirred widespread outrage across the country amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts under President Donald Trump's administration.
Close to noon, multiple protesters assembled on the sidewalk near the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. The crowd reportedly threw bottles and items such as sex toys at lines of police guarding the premises. The Hennepin County police department indicated arrests commenced after protesters began hurling ice chunks and caused property damage. One officer was struck on the head, and a police vehicle's windshield was shattered, the department reported on its Facebook page.
Authorities declared the rally unlawful and instructed participants to disperse. While many complied, approximately 100 individuals remained engaged in confrontation with police officers, state patrol troopers, and state conservation agents, according to the Star Tribune.
The police department later informed local television station KSTP that at least 42 people were arrested. As of Saturday afternoon, the police department had not responded to inquiries from news agencies.
Separately on Saturday, hundreds gathered in a snow-covered area of a Minneapolis park to honor Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Event organizers reiterated criticism of the statewide immigration crackdown, describing it as a federal occupation.
A Lakota spiritual leader, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, led a ceremony for the assembled crowd, many holding American flags and signs. Other attendees shared music and poetry in tribute to Good and Pretti, who have become central figures in the contentious immigration policy debate.
The fatal incident involving Renee Good involved federal immigration agents surrounding her Honda Pilot on a snowy street near her residence. A video captured by a bystander shows an agent approaching the vehicle and demanding entry. As her car began to move, an immigration enforcement officer positioned ahead drew his firearm and fired at close range while retreating. The Trump administration characterized Good as a domestic terrorist who attempted to run over an officer, a description refuted by local and state authorities.
Alex Pretti was killed on January 24 during an altercation with immigration agents on the street. Video footage shows several agents subduing Pretti, followed by the firing of weapons after one officer spotted his legally owned firearm.
In response to the incidents, federal immigration chief Tom Homan announced on Wednesday plans to withdraw 700 immigration officers — approximately 25% of the forces deployed in Minnesota — following agreements with state and local officials to cooperate in processing arrested immigrants. The timeline for ending the federal enforcement campaign remains unspecified.
Becca Good, Renee's wife, released a statement criticizing the immigration crackdown's harmful impact on Minneapolis residents whose names remain unknown publicly.
"They know my wife's name and Alex's name, but there are many others in this city being harmed whom they do not know; their families suffer just as mine does, even if their circumstances differ," Becca Good stated. "They are neighbors, friends, co-workers, classmates. We must know their names as well. Because this should not happen to anyone."