(Fix typo in first subtitle)
By Heather Schlitz
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) – When Fabiola, a single mother and naturalized U.S. citizen from Latin America, first learned of the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, she said she was heartbroken and terrified.
She then joined thousands of others in Minnesota who have volunteered to follow ICE agents since Good was killed — despite her fears for herself and her son Asher, who is seven.
“I feel 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 new volunteers — despite the potential for violence — since Good was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
Federal agents shot dead a Minneapolis resident on Saturday, the second person since the Trump administration moved 3,000 immigration officials to the city.
Fabiola, who has lived in the US for 20 years and owns a construction company, has never met Good. The mother of three was fatally shot when she stopped her car during an immigration action just blocks from Fabiola’s home.
DHS did not respond to requests for comment about the risks to Minnesota observers, but officials say federal agents respond with gunfire when they fear for their lives. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and other Trump administration officials described the protesters and observers as “anti-ICE” and “far-left” agitators.
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME
Fabiola and Asher now whistle when they spot immigration agents on their way to school. She taught Asher how to identify federal agents by their uniforms and had him memorize his grandparents’ phone numbers in case she was apprehended.
Fabiola, who declined to share her last name for fear of punishment, has also started delivering food to people who are afraid to leave their homes. And she regularly stops by Good’s makeshift memorial.
“She has children and her children don’t have their mother now,” Fabiola said. “If something happened to me, where will my boy go?”
Vice President JD Vance said during a visit to Minneapolis on Thursday that Good was trying to hit Ross with her car. Viewer video reviews by Reuters and other outlets show Good’s wheels were turned away from Ross and his feet were away from the vehicle when he shot her.
At least five organizations offer training on how to monitor ICE actions, warn immigrants of their presence, and document the use of force against detainees and protesters. Online training for one of those groups reached its maximum capacity of 1,000 within hours, said Kate Wegener, an immigration attorney who runs the classes.
“We were afraid that the turnout would be lower after her death, but it was the complete opposite,” she said.
Sessions typically offers safety advice: stay at least eight feet away from federal agents; obey the orders given by officers and keep your distance when driving behind convoys of agents.
Some of the observers are very aware of the risks. Janet, a resident of a Minneapolis suburb who declined to share her last name for fear of doxxing, said she has written letters to friends and family to be opened if she is killed.
Minnesota state and local officials encouraged observers. Gov. Tim Walz urged residents to get out their phones and document federal agents.
The lookouts, often identified by their fluorescent green vests and whistles clipped around their necks, are now an increasingly common sight along busy roads and residential neighborhoods when heavily armed, masked, and tactical-gear-clad federal agents are deployed.
Community rejection had some effect. Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino said Wednesday that the city presents a “difficult operating environment” for law enforcement.
Organizers compared the level of engagement to the surge in activism after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.
“I kind of woke up”
On a recent day, two new volunteers, a married couple, rode their bikes near a busy intersection looking for ICE agents. Snow gathered on their jackets and frost stuck to their eyelashes.
“I kind of woke up to what was going on when Renee Good was killed – I knew bad things were happening, but I still didn’t realize how bad it was,” said Aaron, who is 41 and works in marketing. He declined to share his last name for fear of retribution. “And when that happened, it was like it was time to start doing something.”
Earlier in the day, he said he adjusted his six-mile run to cover neighborhoods where residents reported ICE sightings near schools.
Pushing back against immigration enforcement carries risks. Immigration monitors were tear gassed and arrested. State authorities said Friday they were collecting data on the arrests, but that was not immediately available.
“GUMMING THE WORKS”
For Patty O’Keefe, a 36-year-old nonprofit worker, these risks underscore the importance of watchdogs.
“They wouldn’t be working so hard to intimidate us and use all those resources if we weren’t actually able to dismantle their operation or slow them down,” O’Keefe said.
Earlier this month, while following ICE agents in her car, she said five federal agents smashed her car window, handcuffed her and put her in an unmarked SUV. She said ICE agents photographed her, verbally abused her and held her for eight hours in a Minneapolis detention center 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 to volunteer.
“I’m stubborn and I don’t want to give in to fear.”
Many residents speak of Bine with a sense of reverence, describing her as an inspiration.
On the street where she was killed, dozens of people braved the dangerously cold weather to add to the piles of bouquets, stuffed animals and electric candles that glowed through the snow at a makeshift memorial.
“She gave her life for us,” Fabiola said. “Her soul is in heaven and she protects us.”
(Reporting by Heather Schlitz in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Contributing reporting by Emily Schmall in Chicago. Editing by Emily Schmall and Suzanne Goldenberg.)