TOMS RIVER – Approximately 100 people came out to Hooper Avenue for a protest that was part of the thousand or so nationwide “ICE Out for Good” rallies held in response to the controversial death of a Minneapolis woman.
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, Jonathan Ross, on January 7 during an ICE operation, sparking the protests. Federal officials claimed she tried to run over agents with her car, while some questioned the use of force, leading to clashes and broader demonstrations against immigration enforcement. Minnesota’s mayor and governor, both Democrats, and the administration of Republican President Trump offered up drastically different accounts of the incident.
The majority of those in attendance on the January 11 protest were in opposition to ICE tactics and blamed Good’s death on Ross using excessive force. Some questioned the agency’s authority and were critical toward the way the agency has been operating, noting other incidents of violence and the treatment of American citizens who the agency suspected had illegally entered the country.
Many who came out had previously supported the No Kings rallies that drew thousands of people to the same location, critical toward the administration and the Make America Great Again movement. This was the only protest known to have occurred within Ocean County. A similar rally in Piscataway drew an estimated 150 people.
There were counter protestors, one of whom carried an “ICE is Good” sign present at the event.
The Toms River rally was conducted peacefully in the chilly weather.
Social media made it a national debate that continued this week. Video footage was used to either proclaim Ross’s innocence or condemn his guilt; as well as Good’s failure to obey an order to leave her vehicle on command of ICE agents who said she had obstructed an ICE operation being conducted. Some at the scene said she was also told to leave the area and was complying with that order.
Along with Good’s death, federal-state tensions escalated further on January 8 when a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Portland, Oregon, shot and wounded a man and woman in their car after an attempted vehicle stop. Using language similar to its description of the Minneapolis incident, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials claimed the driver had tried to “weaponize” his vehicle and run the agents over.
The Portland-related shootings drew a coalition of progressive and civil rights groups, including Indivisible and the American Civil Liberties Union, to organize the 1,000 events held last weekend under the “Ice Out For Good.” The rallies averaged a few hours in duration and were scheduled to conclude before dusk to minimize the potential for violence.
