Local activists protest fatal ICE shooting in Minnesota

BERNALILLO — Local activists known for protesting President Donald Trump's policies took to their usual spot Saturday in the name of a Minnesota woman who made national headlines after she was fatally shot in her car by an ICE agent.

The group, sponsored by Sandoval County Indivisible and the Democratic Party of Sandoval County, held up signs at the NM-528/550 interchange as part of the "ICE OUT FOR GOOD," called on by the National Indivisible organization.

The events, including the one in Bernalillo, protested the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and mourned the loss of Renee Good, the 37-year-old woman who was killed Jan. 7 after being confronted by members of ICE. Multiple news reports say ICE Agent Jonathan Ross fired the fatal shots. The shooting is still under investigation, but Trump Administration officials blamed Good for her death and said the ICE agent acted out of self-defense. 

The shooting sparked outcry after multiple recordings surfaced, including one from Ross' cell phone.  The recordings prompted debate over law enforcement's use of deadly force and the Trump Administration's mass deployment of ICE agents nationwide. 

Corrales resident Deanna Doran said Good's death was likely "what drove a lot of people" to attend Saturday's late-morning demonstration. She estimated at its peak the event drew 265 people, who held signs stating "Good Trouble Lives On," "ICE OUT 4 GOOD" and "Stop ICE."

Doran said the video of Good's death left her "pissed off."

"It's cold-blooded murder," Doran said, adding her view that Ross had an opportunity to handle the situation differently. 

Good was "friendly and peaceful" to officers and simply trying to turn her car, containing her partner and dog, when the fatal shots were fired, Doran said.

"I'm not in (Ross') mind, so I can't really say (what prompted the shots)," Doran said, while adding, "He has no business going out there if he still has PTSD."

She was referring to multiple news reports that say Ross was dragged by an undocumented immigrant's car in June after trying to make an arrest.

Cody Harris, another activist who joined Doran on Saturday, called the ICE agent's actions "ridiculous" and "a disgrace."

Harris added that he has heard from experts that even military personnel are trained not to fire their weapon in certain situations, which in Harris' mind makes Ross' decision all the more suspicious. 

"ICE thinks they're above law enforcement," Harris said. "They're the American Gestapo."

When asked why it was important for a Sandoval County group to demonstrate against a Minnesota shooting, Doran responded, "We're all Renee Good,"  meaning that, in her view, what happened to Good can happen to anyone. 

Harris agreed with Doran's belief that, like Good, everyone who is a U.S. citizen has rights. 

"We're all family members," Harris said. "I'm a brother and a son."