(corrects typo in first subheading)
By Heather Schlitz
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) – When Fabiola, a single mother from Latin America and a naturalized U.S. citizen, first learned of the fatal shooting of Renee Goode by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, she said she was heartbroken and scared.
She then joined thousands of other Minnesotans who have volunteered to track down ICE agents since Goode was killed — despite her own fears and those of her seven-year-old son, Asher.
“I’m scared, but at the same time, I know I have to take care of my people as well,” she said.
Activists say they have been overwhelmed by the new volunteers — despite the potential for violence — since Goode was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
Federal agents shot and killed a Minneapolis resident on Saturday, the second person since the Trump administration added 3,000 immigration enforcement officers to the city.
Fabiola, who has lived in America for 20 years and owns a construction company, never knew better. The mother of three was shot and killed a short distance from Fabiola’s home when her car was stopped during an immigration enforcement operation.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment on the risk to observers in Minnesota, but officials say federal agents respond with guns when they fear for their lives. Kristy Noem, the DHS secretary, and other Trump administration officials have described the protesters and observers as “anti-ICE” and “leftist” agitators.
What if something happens to me?
Fabiola and Asher blow their whistles when they encounter immigration agents on the way to school. She taught Asher how to identify federal agents by their uniforms, and made him memorize his grandparents’ phone numbers in case he was detained.
Fabiola, who declined to share her last name for fear of reprisal, has also started delivering food to people who are afraid to leave their homes. And she regularly stops by Goode’s makeshift memorial.
“She has children, and her children don’t have a mother right now,” Fabiola said. “If something happens to me, where will my boy go?”
Vice President JD Vance said during a visit to Minneapolis Thursday that Goode was trying to ram Ross with his car. Analysis of bystander video by Reuters and other outlets shows that Goode’s wheels swung away from Ross, and that his legs were clear of the vehicle when he was shot.
At least five organizations offer training on how to monitor ICE operations, warn immigrants of their presence and document the use of force against detainees and protesters. An online training for one of those groups hit its maximum capacity of 1,000 within hours, said Kate Wegener, an immigration attorney who led the training.
“We were afraid that attendance would decrease after his death, but it has turned out to be the complete opposite,” she said.
Sessions typically offers safety tips: stay at least eight feet from federal agents; Follow the orders given by the authorities and keep a distance when driving behind the convoy of agents.
Some observers are hyper-aware of the risks. Janet, a Minneapolis suburb resident who declined to share her last name for fear of doxing, said she wrote letters to friends and family in case she was killed.
Minnesota state and local officials have encouraged observers. Governor Tim Walz has urged residents to get out their phones and document federal agents.
The monitors, often identified by their fluorescent green vests and whistles looped around their necks, are now an increasingly common sight on busy streets and residential neighborhoods when heavily armed, masked federal agents dressed in tactical gear are deployed.
Community pushback has had some effect. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino said Wednesday that the city presents a “difficult operating environment” for enforcement agents.
Organizers compared the level of engagement to the surge in activism following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.
‘I’m kind of up’
On a recent day, two new volunteers, a married couple, rode their bikes near a busy intersection in search of ICE agents. Snow gathered on their jackets and dew clung to their eyelashes.
“I kind of woke up to what was happening when Renee Goode was killed – I knew bad things were happening, but I didn’t know how bad it was,” said Aaron, 41, who works in marketing. He declined to share his last name for fear of retribution. “And then when that happened, it was like, it’s time to start doing something.”
Earlier that day, he said he had adjusted his six-mile run to cover neighborhoods where residents had reported ICE sightings near schools.
There is a risk of pushback against immigration enforcement. Immigration supervisors have been tear gassed and arrested. State officials said Friday they were compiling arrest data but it was not immediately available.
‘Getting things done’
For Patty O’Keefe, a 36-year-old nonprofit worker, those risks underscore the importance of supervisors.
“They’re not going to work so hard to threaten us and use all those resources if we’re not really going to gum up their operations or slow them down,” O’Keefe said.
Earlier this month, as she chased ICE agents in her car, she said five federal agents smashed her car window, handcuffed her and placed her in an unmarked SUV. She said ICE agents photographed her, insulted her and held her in a Minneapolis detention center for eight hours before she was released without charge.
DHS did not respond to a request for comment on O’Keefe’s account of the incident, and Reuters could not independently determine what happened.
She said she now struggles with anxiety – but will continue volunteering.
“I’m just stubborn, and I don’t want to give in to fear.”
Many residents speak of Good with a sense of reverence, describing him as an inspiration.
On the street where she was killed, dozens of people braved the dangerously cold weather to add bouquets, stuffed animals and electric candles to the makeshift memorial.
“He gave his life for us,” Fabiola said. “His soul is in heaven, and he protects us.”
(Reporting by Heather Schlitz in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contributing reporting by Emily Small in Chicago. Editing by Emily Small and Suzanne Goldenberg.)
