Austin-Area Protests Erupt After ICE Shooting in Minneapolis

A picture of Renee Nicole Good is displayed near a makeshift memorial for Good, who was shot and killed at point blank range on January 7 by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent as she apparently tried to drive away from agents who were crowding around her car, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 8, 2026. A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed an American woman on the streets of Minneapolis January 7, leading to huge protests and outrage from local leaders who rejected White House claims she was a domestic terrorist.

CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

5 p.m.

Protests began across the Austin area on Thursday following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis Wednesday.

With 10 minutes to spare before a rally at the intersection of 45th Street and Lamar Boulevard, at least 50 protesters were already showing up with drums, saxophones, homemade signs and fluttering American flags to protest ICE's killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good.

The protest was divided between both sides of the intersection and cars streaming through the rush hour traffic are laying on their horns.

One of the organizers of the event, Megan Field, said safety monitors were on the way. The team was attempting to keep the protesters away from turn lanes and on the triangular medians for safety purposes.

The protest at 45th and Lamar has been organized by Indivisible Rosedale Huddle. The group was also hosting a simultaneous event one block west at 45th and Burnet Rd. called “Signs of Fascism,” which was described as a “silent act of political theater” in which participants dress in black and hold warning signs about authoritarianism.

Another protest will begin at 6 p.m. at 20200 Algreg St. in Pflugerville, the site of a facility operated by ICE and DHS.

Why are people protesting?

Rallies planned around the Austin area Thursday will focus on the death of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis resident who was shot and killed during a federal immigration enforcement operation Wednesday. The incident has sparked outrage nationwide and brought renewed scrutiny to ICE at a time when the Trump administration is deploying more agents than ever before, particularly in residential neighborhoods.

Federal officials said ICE agents were conducting operations in Minneapolis around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when their vehicle became trapped in snow. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said a “mob of agitators that were harassing them all day” attempted to block the agents and stop them from moving their vehicle.

Noem said Good was one of the “agitators” and when ICE ordered her to get out of her car, she refused. Noem said an agent fired his weapon in self-defense after Good allegedly attempted to “weaponize her vehicle” while fleeing.

That account has been disputed by Minneapolis officials and activists who point to videos circulating online that appear to show Good’s vehicle moving away from agents when shots were fired.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has publicly questioned the federal government’s version of events and called for transparency as investigations continue.

Who was Renee Nicole Good?

Good, 37, was a mother of three and a writer who lived with her partner in south Minneapolis, according to family members and local officials. Relatives have described her as a devoted parent and a creative who posed no threat to law enforcement.

She was a U.S. citizen and died just blocks from where she lived.

Are there additional protests planned?

Additional protests are planned in Austin. A rally hosted by the Austin Immigration Rights Action Committee will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday near the south entrance of the Texas Capitol. On Saturday, Jan. 10, a protest at City Hall will start at 11 a.m. There, activists will call for ICE to leave Austin.