NC cities join nationwide anti-ICE protests after Minneapolis, Portland shootings

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Several North Carolina cities, including Durham and Raleigh, joined nationwide protests against immigration enforcement Saturday following a federal officer fatally shooting a woman in Minneapolis and wounding two others in Portland, Oregon.

Protesters gathered at Moore Square Saturday evening and expressed opposition to recent ICE-related shootings across the country and to the ongoing strikes in Venezuela.

"I'm done with the military colonialism, the overtake in other countries, and no accountability for this authoritarian regime," said Kaitlin Aufenthie who came out to Moore Square.

Aufenthie said the death of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis motivated her to come.

The demonstrations coincided with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducting what it called its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities.

President Donald Trump's administration characterized both shootings as acts of self-defense against drivers who "weaponized" their vehicles to attack officers.

Steven Eubanks, 51, said he felt compelled to step out of his comfort zone and attend a Saturday protest in Durham, citing the "horrifying" killing in Minneapolis.

"We can't allow it," Eubanks told the Associated Press. "We have to stand up."

Indivisible, a social movement organization formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in states such as Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Florida. Many were dubbed "ICE Out for Good" using the acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Indivisible and its local chapters organized protests in all 50 states last year.

A Durham rally was called hours after Renee Good, 37, was killed Wednesday, with demands for accountability.

"What justice means to us is for ICE to not be in our streets and more," said Amy Aponte, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which called for the rally on Thursday night.

"It just made me realize that really, none of us are safe. You know, Renee Good is a White woman. And if they can shoot her, if they kill her, they can kill you. They can kill me for no reason," said Aponte.

In Minneapolis, a coalition of migrant rights groups called for a demonstration at Powderhorn Park, a large green space about half a mile from the residential neighborhood where Renee Good was shot on Wednesday. They said the rally and march would celebrate her life and call for an "end to deadly terror on our streets."

Protests in the neighborhood have been largely peaceful, in contrast to the violence following George Floyd's killing in 2020. However, some confrontations erupted on Thursday and Friday between smaller groups of protesters and officers guarding the federal building used as a base for the Twin Cities crackdown.

O'Hara said city police officers have responded to calls about cars abandoned after drivers were apprehended by immigration enforcement. In one case, a car was left in park; in another, a dog was left in the vehicle.

He said immigration enforcement activities were happening "all over the city," with 911 callers alerting authorities to ICE activity, arrests, and abandoned vehicles.

Three congresswomen from Minnesota attempted to tour the ICE facility in the Minneapolis federal building on Saturday morning. They were initially allowed to enter but were told to leave about 10 minutes later.

U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar, Kelly Morrison, and Angie Craig accused ICE agents of obstructing members of Congress from fulfilling their duty to oversee operations there.

"They do not care that they are violating federal law," Craig said after being turned away.

The Trump administration had surged thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown tied in part to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. More than 2,000 officers were involved.

Some officers moved in after abruptly pulling out of Louisiana, where they had been part of another operation expected to last until February.

The Associated Press and ABC11's Jamiese Price contributed to this report.