ICE has become increasingly brazen in its pursuit of accountability, with the agency employing tactics that are eerily reminiscent of police states. The recent killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis has sparked a nationwide outpouring of grief and outrage, but it's just one more example of how far the agency has taken its efforts to silence critics.
Good was simply doing her job as a monitor at an elementary school when she was confronted by the officer. The fact that she was shot and killed is a stark reminder of how quickly ICE can turn violent, even in situations where its actions are clearly unjustified.
But what's striking about Good's death is not just the brutality with which it was carried out, but also the way in which ICE has sought to justify it. In this case, the agency claimed that the officer had acted in self-defense, despite having surrounded her vehicle and threatened her before she attempted to drive away. It's a classic example of the "deadly dilemma" scenario that advocates for human rights have long warned about - where law enforcement forces a victim into appearing aggressive or insubordinate, and then uses that as an excuse to react violently.
This is not an isolated incident. ICE has a long history of using tactics that are designed to intimidate and silence critics, including the use of family separation, raids, and physical and verbal aggression against immigrants. And while federal courts have often ruled against these policies as unconstitutional or in violation of existing statutes, ICE has found ways to continue pushing forward with its agenda.
One of the most worrying aspects of this is the way in which ICE has sought to punish witnesses who have dared to speak out against its actions. In some cases, agents have threatened to prosecute those who videotape ICE agents and post the content on social media. It's a chilling attempt to silence critics and maintain the agency's grip on power.
But there are signs that this may be changing. Organizations such as the Carolina Migrant Network and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) have been working to educate people about their rights when filming or watching ICE agents, and training them on how to effectively document evidence while avoiding personal injury and unlawful arrest.
And it seems that these efforts are having an impact. Volunteers who have previously been intimidated by ICE raids are now more confident in speaking out against its actions. As one volunteer told Salon, "If anything, I've seen people reaffirm their commitment to continue documenting ICE and CBP activity because they see it as an essential form of holding on to whatever justice and democracy still exists."
But the progress is slow, and there's still much work to be done. The fact that state legislatures across the country have passed bills designed to codify limitations on the ability of civilians to hold ICE and law enforcement accountable is a worrying sign. And while federal courts have ruled against these laws as unconstitutional, it's clear that ICE will continue to push forward with its agenda unless there are significant changes in how it operates.
Ultimately, the question remains - what would happen if there was more outrage over cases like Good's? Would we see more action taken against ICE and other law enforcement agencies? The answer is unclear, but one thing is certain: until we start holding these institutions accountable for their actions, we will continue to see violence and intimidation directed at those who speak out.
Good was simply doing her job as a monitor at an elementary school when she was confronted by the officer. The fact that she was shot and killed is a stark reminder of how quickly ICE can turn violent, even in situations where its actions are clearly unjustified.
But what's striking about Good's death is not just the brutality with which it was carried out, but also the way in which ICE has sought to justify it. In this case, the agency claimed that the officer had acted in self-defense, despite having surrounded her vehicle and threatened her before she attempted to drive away. It's a classic example of the "deadly dilemma" scenario that advocates for human rights have long warned about - where law enforcement forces a victim into appearing aggressive or insubordinate, and then uses that as an excuse to react violently.
This is not an isolated incident. ICE has a long history of using tactics that are designed to intimidate and silence critics, including the use of family separation, raids, and physical and verbal aggression against immigrants. And while federal courts have often ruled against these policies as unconstitutional or in violation of existing statutes, ICE has found ways to continue pushing forward with its agenda.
One of the most worrying aspects of this is the way in which ICE has sought to punish witnesses who have dared to speak out against its actions. In some cases, agents have threatened to prosecute those who videotape ICE agents and post the content on social media. It's a chilling attempt to silence critics and maintain the agency's grip on power.
But there are signs that this may be changing. Organizations such as the Carolina Migrant Network and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) have been working to educate people about their rights when filming or watching ICE agents, and training them on how to effectively document evidence while avoiding personal injury and unlawful arrest.
And it seems that these efforts are having an impact. Volunteers who have previously been intimidated by ICE raids are now more confident in speaking out against its actions. As one volunteer told Salon, "If anything, I've seen people reaffirm their commitment to continue documenting ICE and CBP activity because they see it as an essential form of holding on to whatever justice and democracy still exists."
But the progress is slow, and there's still much work to be done. The fact that state legislatures across the country have passed bills designed to codify limitations on the ability of civilians to hold ICE and law enforcement accountable is a worrying sign. And while federal courts have ruled against these laws as unconstitutional, it's clear that ICE will continue to push forward with its agenda unless there are significant changes in how it operates.
Ultimately, the question remains - what would happen if there was more outrage over cases like Good's? Would we see more action taken against ICE and other law enforcement agencies? The answer is unclear, but one thing is certain: until we start holding these institutions accountable for their actions, we will continue to see violence and intimidation directed at those who speak out.
. The fact that her death is sparking a nationwide conversation about accountability is a testament to her bravery 
. I'm so glad to see organizations like the Carolina Migrant Network and LULAC working tirelessly to educate people about their rights and train them on how to document evidence safely 
. It's heartening to hear from volunteers who are now more confident in speaking out against ICE actions 
. We need more of this kind of courage and determination 
!
. It's like they're trying to become a police state or something. They're using tactics that are super aggressive and intimidating, and it's scaring people half to death.
. It's just not right. The fact that the agency is trying to justify it by saying the officer acted in self-defense is just ridiculous. They surrounded her car, threatened her... it was like they were looking for an excuse to use violence.
. Organizations are starting to step up and educate people about their rights when it comes to filming or watching ICE agents. They're also training people on how to document evidence without putting themselves in harm's way. And it seems like these efforts are having an impact - more people are feeling confident enough to speak out against ICE.
. There are state legislatures passing bills that would limit the ability of civilians to hold ICE and law enforcement accountable, which is just really worrying. And until there's more outrage over cases like Good's, I'm not sure what will happen to ICE. But one thing is for sure - we need to keep pushing back against their aggressive tactics and holding them accountable for their actions 
. We need to keep pushing for change, like those amazing organizations that are training people on how to document evidence without putting themselves at risk. We can do better than this 
.
I was talking to my cousin's sister-in-law who's a teacher and she told me that after the ICE raid in her school, everyone was super nervous and scared 
She said some kids were crying, others were hiding under their desks. It's crazy how one person can cause so much fear and anxiety.
I mean, I'm all for accountability and justice, but ICE going full-on police state vibes? 
That's just wrong on so many levels! It's like they're trying to intimidate people into silence... and it's got nothing to do with safety or security, everything to do with maintaining their power.
That's not progress, that's regression.
I hope so, because until then, people like Renee will keep getting hurt. 