The Massachusetts Teachers Association condemns the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. Such a tragedy was inevitable under the Trump administration’s agenda to use masked, secret police authorized to terrorize and threaten communities heavily populated with immigrants.
We are further appalled by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s characterization of the shooting as a justified act of self-defense; her narrative is not supported by the multiple sources of video footage depicting the events.
Good was a legal observer of government actions unfolding in her community and unjustly killed by an agent of a federal administration bent on replacing our democracy with authoritarian control.
Good, 37, was a poet and writer. She leaves behind a partner and three children. Shortly before her murder, Good had dropped off her youngest child at school.
The MTA is profoundly saddened by Good’s death – by what it means for her family and those who loved her and by what it represents about the current condition of American life.
The MTA is profoundly saddened by Good’s death – by what it means for her family and those who loved her and by what it represents about the current condition of American life.
On the same day that reckless actions by an ICE agent took Good’s life, other ICE agents deployed tear gas and apprehended an educator at a Minneapolis high school during student dismissal. The educator later was released.
Because of the chaos caused by ICE’s presence in Minneapolis, schools in the city remain closed this week.
Those who still hold dear the values of justice and freedom know that every action taken against the unlawful acts happening daily in our communities matters. The standouts, the protests, the vigils and the sharing of truthful information are all vital to our justice movement.
We are proud of the brave MTA members who are proclaiming their support for immigrant families and students and demanding that ICE stop its campaign of terror in our communities and around our schools.
We reiterate our call for the Department of Homeland Security to stop deploying ICE for a campaign of fear in Minnesota, Massachusetts and across the country. Renee Nicole Good’s death underscores the reality that increased ICE presence makes our communities more dangerous.
We urge all concerned citizens to do what they can to demonstrate their opposition to these assaults on our democratic values and urge our elected representatives to likewise stand against the Trump administration’s assaults on liberty and justice.
