Thousands in Fresno protest ICE actions, killing of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis

Marina Peña, The Fresno Bee on Jan 11, 2026

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Thousands of people gathered Sunday morning at River Park Shopping Center near Blackstone and Nees avenues in Fresno to protest the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a mother and U.S. citizen, in Minneapolis — a death that demonstrators said should never have occurred.

Protesters, lining the streets surrounding the shopping center, carried U.S. and Mexican flags along with signs that read, “Justice for Renee Nicole Good,” “Abolish ICE,” and “The wrong ICE is melting.” Demonstrators also referenced U.S. military strikes on Venezuela during a Jan. 3 operation, and two people shot on Jan. 8 by federal agents in Portland, Ore.

Elijah Andrade and Seran Arthur attended the protest together, both dressed in all black and holding white and yellow chrysanthemums, which they said symbolized their grief and disappointment. They said it was important for them to protest against ICE and what they see as the unjust killing of Good.

“It really pains me that this is going on in our country and that this is happening to innocent people and that the government is just going with it and hasn’t been hearing the voice of the people,” Andrade said. “We all need to show our support for people vulnerable to ICE, so that they know that we’re here for them.”

Arthur added that the protest was also personal for her, because she has family members, who are undocumented immigrants, and they could be directly affected by immigration enforcement across the country.

“I have loved ones and family members who feel that they can’t speak up, so I’m here to speak out for them,” she said.

Over the past year, Fresno has been home to a series of immigration-focused protests driven by heightened federal enforcement actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and related agencies. Hundreds to thousands have taken to the streets in Fresno’s downtown and neighborhoods to oppose deportations, denounce ICE raids in California cities, such as Los Angeles, and to call for protections for undocumented residents. The protestors have often waved Mexican and American flags and chanted anti-enforcement slogans.

Local activists and organizations have also organized rallies outside the Fresno ICE Processing Center downtown and have urged businesses to deny ICE entry, reflecting deep anxiety in immigrant communities amid reports of plainclothes federal agents detaining individuals outside courthouses and during routine ICE check-ins in the Central Valley.

Protestors also drew attention to broader concerns about democratic representation, accountability, and insufficient training of ICE agents.

Mark Etheridge, a longtime Fresno resident, said it was important for him to attend the protest because he believes the country is moving toward authoritarianism and that the violence in Minneapolis is also occurring in Fresno.

“Things have happened here. We’ve had people at downtown immigration facilities who have been kidnapped when they go to their scheduled interviews while trying to go through the legal process. They’re taken away by ICE agents,” he said. “So it’s not a matter of if it happens here — it is happening here. People are afraid to go to work and to school. It’s affecting Fresno. It’s not if or when.”

Immigration lawyers in Fresno have confirmed that some clients have been detained during interviews to adjust their immigration status at the Fresno green card office downtown, raising concerns among advocates that individuals attempting to follow the legal process are being taken into custody during routine appointments.

Connie Young, a longtime Fresno resident, held a sign at the protest that read, “The Wrong ICE is Melting!”.

“I want to show the Trump administration that we will not be intimidated and that it’s not alright for ICE agents to be shooting innocent citizens on the streets,” she said.