Austin Protests Erupt After ICE Kills Woman in Minneapolis

People tend to a memorial for Renee Nicole Good near the site of her shooting on January 8, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to federal officials, an ICE agent shot and killed Good during a confrontation yesterday in south Minneapolis.

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After a turbulent weekend of protests opposing U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, Austinites are preparing for another wave of demonstrations — this time in response to the fatal shooting of a woman by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis.

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.

Who is 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.

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.

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Her mother said she was “one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

Good had previously been married, but her husband died in 2023. Their 6-year-old son is now an orphan.

Community members descended on the neighborhood Wednesday after the shooting to honor and remember her.

What led to the fatal ICE shooting?

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.

“We dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” said Frey at a news conference Wednesday. “They are not here to cause safety in this city. They are already trying to spin this as an act of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everyone directly: That is [expletive].”

Response, planned protests around Austin

Austin activists are organizing protests for Thursday night. One protest will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. at 45th Street and Lamar Boulevard. Another will be held at 6 p.m. at 20200 Algreg St. in Pflugerville, the site of a facility operated by ICE and DHS.

On Saturday, Jan. 10, a protest at City Hall will start at 11 a.m. There, activists will call for ICE to leave Austin.