A small gathering started at the DeKalb County Courthouse in Sycamore on Thursday in response to the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this week.
37-year-old Renee Good was shot in her vehicle Wednesday in a neighborhood where ICE agents were conducting targeted immigration enforcement. President Trump’s administration maintain the ICE agent acted in self-defense.
Minnesota’s Attorney General characterized the agent’s actions as an "escalation" and said Good was trying to drive away from the situation.
Local protests and vigils have popped up around the country in response to Good's death, including the one in Sycamore.
A vigil was held Friday night in Batavia.
WNIJ Community Corps Correspondent Jay Weichun interviewed several people who attended the Batavia vigil.
Nathan Holmer: Well, I mean, honestly, it's in support of community and having an outlet for grief and understanding that this is just not okay, and there's only so many articles you can post and repost. There are no rules anymore, so what do we do? I don't know if it's the best we can do, but it's a start. Knowing that together with neighbors and communities is how we, I guess can work through it together.
Terry Allen: I am extremely concerned about the actions of ICE I feel like they are not following the Constitution. They're not following the law. The information we're receiving about them is not true according to witnesses. I have personal experience with a person who was detained, and I am very concerned that this is a totally illegal operation, and I'm concerned that Congress is not taking action to stop it.
In DeKalb, people filled also DeKalb’s Peace Corner on Friday night.
Pastor Joe Mitchell led a moment of silence.
Mitchell: We're going to start in unison, and then we will end in unison. We're going to say the name 'Renee Good' together. We're going to have 30 seconds for your heart to speak to whatever your higher power is. And then we will end with three words together, and hopefully unites us and locks us in together as humanity doing what's right, not only for ourselves, but for our siblings and our neighbors as well.
Mitchell: Say the name— Renee Good.
Crowd: Renee Good.
Mitchell: Take 30 seconds and allow your heart to speak to whatever divine deity you honor.
Silence
Mitchell: Repeat after me. Love. Peace. Justice.
WNIJ Community Corps Correspondent Kaleigh Ibarra interviewed several people who attended the DeKalb vigil.
Norm Read: "It was only a matter of time until there was a case like this and I fear that the more the forces in charge of the government and in charge of these people will try to excuse it, the more this is going to happen, and it's up to people like us to stand up and show that we won't just accept it."
Killian Becker: "I'm hoping that everything that's shared here tonight and as we go into the next couple of days, weeks, months, we will really hold on to community and hold on to collective action. There's been a lot of movements here in DeKalb that are kind of centered around mutual aid, centered around migrant aid, and really just holding each other close and protecting our neighbors."
Aubrieta Hope: "I hope it brings hope that there's going to be a brighter future, that things will change, and that people are paying attention, that people care. Hopefully that'll influence the Congress. Hopefully, that'll influence leaders to make changes, to turn things around, that we're upset. We want that to change. That's what I'm hoping for."
Caroline Quinlan: "It's another way of showing where we stand so that it will eventually affect the ballot box."
John Dickerman: There's people meeting like this all over the country. We're just a small group here, but it's adding to a much bigger group, so it sends a much bigger message when we all get together like this."
Another vigil is planned for Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. in front of the Federal Courthouse in Rockford.