Across the country, the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman shot and killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a federal immigration operation in Minneapolis, has drawn widespread attention and sparked protests and debate.
In Bakersfield, protesters gathered Saturday in front of the Liberty Bell in downtown Bakersfield for an “ICE Out for Good” mobilization, calling for accountability and an independent investigation into Good’s death.
Organizer Audrey Chavez said the mobilization was intended to demand accountability and build long‑term community response following Good’s death.
“Renee was stolen by ICE,” Chavez said. “We demand accountability, transparency, and an immediate investigation into this killing.”
Protesters lined the street holding signs reading “Abolish ICE,” “No human is illegal,” and “ICE brings fear, not safety.”
Reverend Dawn Wilder, pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, said that prayer alone could not explain or resolve Good’s death.
“We live in a country where the people we pay to protect us killed a mother and expect us to accept it and move on,” Wilder said. “That’s not happening.”
Wilder also spoke about conditions inside immigration detention facilities, alleging that detainees are denied medical care, repeatedly searched, confined for long periods, and treated in ways that violate basic standards of dignity.
“The people held in detention are not less human. How we treat them reveals who we really are,” she said.
Participants at the protest also honored people who have died in ICE custody or encounters. Attendees read names aloud, responding “presente” after each one, including Keith Porter, a 43-year-old man from Northridge, California, who was shot and killed by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve.
Labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta addressed the crowd, urging attendees to remain active in advocating for immigrant and labor rights.
“It is so important that we show our physical presence to let them know that we are not in agreement with what is happening in our country,” Huerta said. “By just being here right now, you are making that commitment that we’re going to work really, really hard.”
Huerta added that the rally was not only a response to Good’s death but also a broader call for justice and accountability for those affected by ICE operations.
“This is our country, and we have to take responsibility for what is happening in it,” she said. “Standing together, showing up for one another, and making our voices heard is how we protect our communities and demand change.”
Protesters gather for an “ICE Out for Good” rally Saturday in downtown Bakersfield, Calif., following the death of Renee Nicole Good.
