Protester Tex raises her hands covered in red paint during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 10 on Main Street in Fort Worth. Tex is a first-generation of her family and said she wanted to stand up for her community and family.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Hundreds of community members gathered downtown Saturday to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement violence during deportation efforts, joining a nationwide movement sparked after two shootings by federal agents this week.
Fort Worth’s demonstration — which followed a protest in Dallas among other North Texas cities and others across the country — honored Renee Good, 37, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer Wednesday in Minneapolis.
Arlington resident Tammie Carson, 68, raises a fist as she listens to speakers during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 10 at the General Worth Square in Fort Worth. Carson said she has been to many vigils, including for Trayvon Martin and George Floyd.
President Donald Trump’s administration labeled the officer’s actions self-defense, saying Good attempted to run the agent over. The stance has drawn scrutiny from several local officials and community members, who call the officer’s actions unjustified.
Fort Worth resident Laura Anderson, 50, looks down as she listens to speakers during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 10 at the General Worth Square in Fort Worth. Anderson said it was her responsibility, as a person, to stand up for and protect one another.
One day after Good was killed, federal immigration agents shot and injured two people outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, which has also made waves in protests nationwide.
Organized by several progressive and democratic advocacy groups across Dallas-Fort Worth, Fort Worth’s General Worth Square was packed with protesters Saturday. As they marched downtown, many donned attire and signage recalling other countries or demographics impacted by the Trump administration, such as Mexican flags and the colors of Pride.
“It was kind of a turning point with Ms. Good being shot, but it’s been going on and building and building because of all of the illegal killings, and the fact that people are being disappeared,” Louisa Schmid, 80, said.
Denton resident Kelsey Byman, 37, said ICE is taking people in with no accountability, and their presence is a detriment to local communities. People are dying, she said, and it’s not long before they “take away everything.”
“People are afraid to go out. People are afraid to do things,” Byman said.
The growing tensions between immigration agents and local communities come amid historic deportation numbers under a Department of Homeland Security bolstered by federal funding. The U.S. recorded more than 2.5 million deportations this year — including 1.9 million “voluntary self-deportations,” according to a Homeland Security press release.
Protesters walk across Sixth Street during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 10 on Main Street in Fort Worth. The community gathered to protest from 4 to 6 p.m.
Sabrina Ball, leader of Indivisible Texas 12, one of the organizations that organized the protest, said they want to expose ICE’s pattern of violence and call for them to leave communities. She said ICE is tearing families apart.
“I’m a mom, and as an organizer, we are looking at how do we prepare our community for when ICE is here,” she said. “We know that they’re here, we know that they’re working kind of covertly.”
Fort Worth resident Tammy Gomez, 62, chants a poem called “Open Up Your Mouth” during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 10 at the General Worth Square in Fort Worth. Gomez said that as a citizen, those around her who are unhappy and are not living their best lives affect her.
Mansfield resident Ronnie Craven, 73, called the right to protest paramount. She said she feels like there aren’t many things that people can do now and that protesting is an important right.
Mansfield resident Pat Craven, 73, said the protest says a lot about the whole Fort Worth area, as well as DFW.
“We’re from Mansfield, the lady next to us is from Grand Prairie, other people from all around the Metroplex, and that’s what’s important,” he said. “They had a deal in Dallas last night, they have this one here. So we’re here, we’ve just got to say something.
Protesters march during a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 10 on Main Street in Fort Worth. The protest was sparked by the death of Renee Good, who was killed by ICE in Minnesota.
“When I was going to UTA in 1971-72 when the Vietnam War was cranking down, we had stuff on campus there, and I hope they do now too,” Pat Craven said. “That was a way that we got to say, ‘Hey, we don’t want to be drafted. Hey, we don’t believe in Vietnam.’”
He said he believes like in the 70s, the need for protesting is ever-present.
“This is what we got to do now, like I said, for our kids, for our grandkids.”
@PMalkomes @wall035203