Minneapolis — Dozens of demonstrators were arrested Saturday outside a federal building in Minneapolis to break up a protest marking the one-month anniversary of the death of a Minnesota woman at the hands of an immigration officer.
Renee Goode was killed on January 7 as she drove away from immigration officers in a Minneapolis neighborhood. Her death and that of Minneapolis resident Alex Peretti, just weeks later, sparked outrage across the country over President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.
Dozens of protesters gathered across the street in front of the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building around midday, throwing bottles and sex toys at a line of police guarding the building. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said the arrests began after the crowd began throwing chunks of ice and some property was damaged. A deputy was hit in the head and the windshield of a police vehicle was shattered, the sheriff’s office said on its Facebook page.
The police declared the gathering illegal and ordered the demonstrators to leave. Many complied, but about 100 remained confrontational with deputies, state troopers and state conservation officials, the Star Tribune reported.
The Sheriff’s Office later told KSTP-TV that at least 42 people had been arrested. No one from the Sheriff’s Office responded to email, voicemail and text messages from The Associated Press Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, hundreds gathered in a snow-covered field in a Minneapolis park to honor Judd and Brittie. Event organizers echoed recent criticism of the immigration crackdown across Minnesota, calling it a federal occupation.
Lakota spiritual leader, Chief Arful Looking Horse, led a ceremony in front of a crowd full of people carrying signs and American flags. Others shared music and poetry to honor the two people who have become central figures in the debate over immigration in recent weeks.
Federal immigration officer He shot and killed Jeda 37-year-old mother of three, in her car in Minneapolis on January 7. Three agents surrounded her Honda Pilot SUV on a snowy street a few blocks from Judd’s home. Bystander video shows an officer approaching the SUV, stopping in the middle of the road, asking the driver to open the door and grab the handle.
The vehicle began to move forward, and another ICE officer standing in front of it drew his weapon and immediately fired at point-blank range, then jumped back as the vehicle moved toward him. The Trump administration described Judd as a domestic terrorist who tried to run over an officer with her car. State and local officials rejected this characterization.
Preeti was killed On January 24 during a fight with immigration officers in the street. Bystander video shows six officers taking Preeti to the ground. One of them spotted Pretty’s gun, which he was licensed to carry, and shouted, “He’s got a gun.” Then two officers opened fire.
Tom Homan, Trump’s border official, announced on Wednesday that the administration would do so 700 immigration officers withdrawn from Minnesota — nearly a quarter of the officers deployed in the state — after state and local officials agreed over the past week to cooperate by turning over detained immigrants. Homan did not say when the administration would end its repressive campaign in the state.
Judd’s wife, Becca Judd, issued a statement Saturday saying immigration efforts are hurting people in Minneapolis and no one knows their names.
“You know my wife’s name and you know Alex’s name, but there are so many other people in this city who are hurting that you don’t know — their families are hurting just like mine, even if they don’t look like mine,” Becca Judd said in the statement. “They are neighbors, friends, coworkers, and classmates. We should also know their names. Because this shouldn’t happen to anyone.”