The Minnesota Abortion Action Committee stands with immigrants in solidarity against ICE.
Our cities are under occupation. Upwards of 3,000 ICE agents have been deployed to Minnesota. Their actions are a direct attack on reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, and everything MNAAC fights for. Immigration enforcement has always infringed on these values, but the current escalation by the Trump administration is tearing our communities apart at a pace we’ve never seen before.
On January 7, 2026, ICE murdered Renee Good. She was a mother, a wife, a poet, a community member, and a human being. As more information is released, it is clear that not only was this an act of violence toward someone standing up for immigrants, it was also an act of misogyny and queerphobia. Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who shot Good directly four times, including in the face, was heard on video calling her a “fucking bitch,” moments after he fired the shots that killed her. This was not the reaction of a man who feared for his life—this was the reaction of a man who saw Renee as inferior to himself, and chose to respond with violence.
Renee Good was not the first woman to be shot by ICE. In October, Marimar Martinez was shot by an ICE agent in Chicago, and the ICE agent who shot her bragged about it over text to other agents: “Read it. 5 shots, 7 holes.” In the days since Renee was murdered, ICE agents have threatened community members by referencing her death, with one person reporting that an ICE agent told them to stop observing or they’d end up “like that lesbian bitch.” The rhetoric about Renee’s death from the far-right movement has involved this same dehumanizing language. Women and queer people who have been detained by ICE report being called misogynistic, transphobic, and homophobic slurs while they were being physically abused by agents. Under Trump’s orders, ICE agents have free rein to indulge their hatred of women and LGBTQ+ people with total impunity. MNAAC demands justice for Renee Good! MNAAC demands justice for Marimar Martinez!
The Department of Homeland Security has given immigration enforcement the green light to sexually assault abductees by denying any responsibility for the assaults, as well as revoking hard-won protections against sexual violence for transgender detainees. While sexual assault impacts all genders, we know that women and queer people are more likely to be victims. In December, ICE agent David Courvelle pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a Nicaraguan detainee in exchange for letters from her daughter and other “gifts.” ICE agents go through very little screening, so domestic abusers are eager to apply. No one is safe with these violent men on our streets, especially not women. MNAAC stands with victims of sexual violence and against its enablers and perpetrators!
Our community members are being stripped of their bodily autonomy. Accessing healthcare can already be challenging for immigrants and undocumented people, and now we’re seeing ICE agents monitoring Hennepin County Medical Center and other hospitals. ICE has even been reported outside of Planned Parenthood locations in Minnesota. ICE presence in hospitals means that victims of sexual violence are afraid to seek out the medical attention and documentation that they might need. ICE is racially profiling people of color and abducting and abusing people, regardless of their citizenship status, and people are being forced to carry documentation with them when they leave the house. Many of our loved ones are limiting daily outings, and some families are choosing to shelter in place. This leaves people out of work, struggling to pay for rent, groceries, and other necessities. It is upending daily life.
With ICE occupying our city, it is impossible to raise children in a safe and healthy environment. ICE separates families, leaving children without parents, siblings, and caretakers. Minneapolis Public Schools were forced to cancel school for two days last week after ICE swarmed Roosevelt High School and detained three staff members. Schools across the state are now turning to online learning because families are not safe sending their children to school. Daycares are closing their doors as staff members are being abducted on their way to work. Parents are now scrambling to figure out childcare while still providing for their families. Children are no longer allowed outside at recess. The trauma of abduction and family separation—of seeing ICE stalk the areas where they live, grow, and play—will never leave these children.
Our list could go on and on. It’s tempting to give in to defeatism, but we must continue to come together and fight these attacks. Support immigrant rights organizations on the ground, like our friends at the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC). Talk to your neighbors and join your neighborhood rapid response group efforts, if you haven’t already. Donate to one of the many local food and supply drives for immigrant families. Come to our action on Thursday 1/22, where we’ll be demanding money for working families, not for ICE. And if you’re looking for a place to organize, join us for a new members’ meeting on Thursday 2/5 at 6:30pm at the Lucy Parsons Center.
We’re thinking of Renee Good’s family, and we want her wife and son to know that we have their back. We’re thinking of our immigrant neighbors, especially immigrant women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people. And we’re thinking of our Twin Cities community, which will never stop fighting.
No justice! No peace! ICE off our streets!
For resources on how to help others or get help for yourself, go to standwithminnesota.com.