Yet another alleged ICE atrocity mobilizes activists to respond

It's not just about the immigrant community, it is about us all as a community and what we stand up for”

Councilman Eric Dinowitz

Riverdale residents showed up in droves to a vigil honoring Renee Nicole Good, the U.S. citizen fatally shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.

On Jan. 11, roughly 250 activists crowded onto sidewalks near Seton Park in a communal call for resistance. Some dressed in black to signal their mourning, others shared outrage with anti-ICE pins tacked to thick winter jackets. The gathering, organized by Northwest Bronx Indivisible, or NWBI, followed years of rallies put on by the group in a fervent push against the Trump Administration.

“Rallies like this should happen anyway, but the fact that a woman, an American citizen, was killed, I think just underscored the need for people to speak out on what’s going on and the way they’re expanding ICE,” Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said, standing amongst the sea of neighbors.

Bystander video of the 37-year-old’s final moments, verified by outlets like Reuters, spread rapidly online shortly after her death, triggering waves of national outcry and days of coast-to-coast protests.

“We’re seeing an increase in violence perpetuated by ICE,” Abigail Martin, district leader for Assembly District 81, said at the vigil. “After seeing her death, neighbors are looking for community and being able to have opposition against what’s happening.”

The footage shows Good’s SUV stopped perpendicular on a residential roadway with room for several cars to pass. Two agents are seen exiting a nearby vehicle and advancing toward hers, demanding she “get out of the car.” A third agent joins them.

Videos with varying angles of the event analyzed by The New York Times show Good briefly reverse and then pull forward — her wheels turned away from all three agents.

One agent, later identified as Jonathan Ross — a long-time federal law enforcement veteran — fired multiple rounds toward the moving vehicle, striking Good.

Ross fled the scene shortly after, as bystanders were denied access to render aid, even when one identified himself as a doctor. Paramedics and firefighters only reached her after several minutes. Good was taken to a hospital, where she later died from her injuries.

In the aftermath of her killing, President Donald Trump claimed in a post on Patreon that video from the incident showed the woman “violently, willfully, and viciously” running over the officer.

Other high-ranking federal officials echoed the rhetoric, with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem framing Ross’ actions as self-defense and an attempt by Good to “weaponize” her vehicle in an act of domestic terrorism.
“Our nation is under attack by the federal government,” Morgan Evers, a candidate for the 81st Assembly District, told The Press. “The Trump administration is spinning it to show that she did something wrong. She was just exercising her First Amendment rights, and she was assassinated.”

In Riverdale, residents honored Good by exercising those same rights along Independence Avenue and West 235th Street. Dozens held signs penned with slogans like “ICE Out for Good,” their chants of solidarity met with supportive honks from passing drivers.

Despite the brisk winter chill that day, those in attendance were undeterred from taking the memorial even further. As deep outrage and grief festered, the crowd broke out into an impromptu march. Members stomped toward W. 236th St., their voices growing louder in a call for accountability and change.

“It’s not just about the immigrant community, it is about us all as a community and what we stand up for,” said Councilman Eric Dinowitz. “We stand for the rights of people to live with justice and dignity.”

The group reconvened on the overpass above the Henry Hudson Parkway. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder along the narrow walkway, rallygoers pressed signs against the chain-link fence --- the steady stream of cars beneath them let out honks of encouragement.

Amid the throng of residents packed onto the small bridge, some waved American flags.

“I think we’re starting to see a lot more [American] flags,” said longtime resident Emily Shapiro, with one in hand. “I think now the point is that we who are protesting are protesting on behalf of American values, the American Constitution, the American way.”

She paused for a moment, adding, “I think that in the past, we’ve made a mistake in giving that away to people who are actually un-American.”