Protests Erupt in Arizona Against Federal Immigration Crackdowns

Arizona Communities Rally in Response to Fatal Shooting by Immigration Agent

This weekend, the cities of Prescott and Flagstaff witnessed significant public demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement actions. The protests were part of a nationwide response to the recent killing of a Minnesota woman by an immigration officer.

On Saturday, hundreds braved cold winds to gather at Flagstaff City Hall for what was termed the Ice Out for Good Weekend of Action. Among the attendees was Northern Arizona University student Marcos Suchilt, who found himself drawn to activism for the first time. Suchilt shared his motivation: “You know, it could be your mom, it could be your sister, it could be your aunt, your uncle, your grandparents, and it’s disgusting,” he stated. “But to get video of it and see it from my own eyes, it was just too much.”

In Prescott, similar numbers gathered at Courthouse Plaza. Meanwhile, the Verde Independent reported approximately 120 participants in Cottonwood, with a vigil held in Sedona dedicated to the memory of Renee Good, the woman who was killed.

Arizona hosted nearly a dozen Ice Out events, as part of a larger movement that saw almost a thousand protests across the nation. The Trump administration has claimed that the federal agent acted in self-defense, alleging that Good attempted to use her vehicle as a weapon against the officers. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem described Good’s actions as “an act of domestic terrorism.”

However, not everyone agrees with this narrative. Rob Hall, a protester from Flagstaff, expressed skepticism, questioning, “She was a domestic terrorist in a minivan filled with children’s toys?” Hall added, “If she did anything illegal, it was a road traffic violation. She was blocking a roadway. That’s not enough to shoot and kill somebody.”