The protests over the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, though originating in a distant city, have continued to ripple across Arizona this weekend, with activists gathering in a Valley suburb to demand accountability and call for an end to expanded immigration enforcement actions.
The latest demonstration is scheduled for **Saturday, January 10, at 9 a.m. in Surprise, Arizona**, organized by the local progressive group Northwest Valley Indivisible. Protesters plan to gather at the intersection of **Bell Road and Civic Center Drive**. This weekend event follows closely on the heels of mass gatherings earlier this week in Phoenix and Tucson.
A National Tragedy Sparks Local Outrage
The outrage stems from the killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, who was fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday. Good was reportedly acting as a legal observer during an immigration enforcement operation when the fatal encounter occurred.
Video of the incident has been widely circulated, fueling a national debate and sparking demonstrations in cities from coast to coast. Federal authorities have offered a starkly different account from local Minnesota officials. The Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, claimed the agent was acting in self-defense, asserting that Good’s vehicle was used to attempt to run over agents. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem went so far as to label the incident an “act of domestic terrorism.”
However, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz have publicly rejected the federal narrative. Mayor Frey called the DHS version of events “garbage,” while Governor Walz has described the shooting as “preventable” and “unnecessary.” The lack of a unified state and federal investigation, with the FBI reportedly taking the lead and limiting local law enforcement access to evidence, has further inflamed tensions across the country.
Arizona’s Weekend Focus on Surprise
For Arizonans, the weekend’s focus shifts to Surprise. Organizers of the Saturday morning protest have stated their goal is to both mourn the life of Renee Nicole Good and raise concerns over the Trump administration’s reported plans to ramp up ICE enforcement operations across the state.
The protest is also directly calling on U.S. Representative Abe Hamadeh, whose district includes Surprise, to publicly oppose aggressive federal enforcement actions like the one seen in Minneapolis.
Phoenix and Tucson: The Week in Review
Prior to this weekend’s event, hundreds of people gathered outside the ICE field office in midtown Phoenix on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Speakers included local leaders like Phoenix Councilwoman Anna Hernandez, demanding justice for Good and an end to aggressive enforcement tactics. In Tucson, dozens of demonstrators rallied downtown despite cold, rainy weather, gathering outside the federal immigration courthouse.
The concern over an expanded federal presence is shared at the highest levels of state government. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has publicly expressed concern about reports of a major increase in immigration enforcement activities expected for Phoenix. “The president ran on going after criminals, and these kind of indiscriminate roundups that gin up fear in communities and create these kind of circumstances are not making anyone safer,” Governor Hobbs stated earlier in the week.
As the political and legal fallout from the Minneapolis shooting continues, Arizona remains a key site for those mobilizing to protest federal immigration enforcement. The Surprise demonstration on Saturday ensures that the national movement for accountability maintains a visible presence in the state.