MELROSE, Mass. — Some Massachusetts residents joined in on nationwide protests against ICE on Saturday.
The protests across the country come just a few days after a woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“This is a really rapid response to the killing of Renee Good,” protestor Aleda Freeman said.
Reaction continues to pour in following the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Good during an encounter with ICE Wednesday.
Good was a U.S. citizen.
Secretary of State Kristi Noem has called the actions leading up to the shooting “domestic terrorism”.
“Outrage, shock, sadness,” protestor Sue Herz said about how she was feeling following the shooting.
Protestors with Indivisible Melrose, Wakefield, and Beyond were stationed on Main Street in Melrose Saturday.
They said the protest was to take a non-violent stand against recent federal immigration enforcement in the midst of turmoil.
“It’s not only the killings, but the detainment of people unnecessarily,” Herz said.
During the interview with Herz, a couple of counter protestors quickly walked by and shouted “let’s go Trump, let’s go ICE!”
Immigration attorney Maria Muti said she’s participating in the nationwide protests, coined “ICE Out for Good”, to make her voice heard locally.
“It’s effecting all of us, not just immigrants,” Muti said.
According to ICE, 41,000 people either known or suspect of being in the country illegally have been arrested since President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown began.
However, Muti said she’s seeing clients with protected legal status or work authorization cards being detained.
“Are they legal in terms of do they have a green card? No but are they legal in terms of the U.S. government is aware that they’re here and has given them authorization to work so yes,” Muti explained. “There’s so many shades of grey and so much misunderstanding.”
Saturday’s protest in Melrose was just one of 1,000 protests that were planned for this weekend across the country.
Mass GOP Chair Amy Carnevale provided the following statement:
The protests today remind us that freedom of speech and assembly are alive and well in Massachusetts, secured by law enforcement. Republicans in the Bay State continue to stand with the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our rights and safety every day.
— Mass GOP Chair Amy Carnevale
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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