US National Shutdown Day: Who are the people remembered and what happened to them?

Thousands of protesters gathered in New York City on Friday, January 30 for an “ICE OUT” demonstration, part of what organizers described as a nationwide US National Shutdown Day to draw attention to immigration enforcement and its impact on families and communities. According to the protest website nationalshutdown.org, the goal of the coordinated actions is to pressure federal officials by disrupting daily routines and highlighting concerns over the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country – to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” the website states.

Why was there a call for a “shutdown”?

Organizers say the protests are being held in memory of individuals they claim were killed during encounters with federal immigration agents, particularly following two deadly shootings in Minnesota. According to the organizers, the demonstrations are meant to put pressure on federal agents following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

On January 7, Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a federal operation in Minnesota. Protests erupted in the days following her death.

Also Read: Why was Renee Nicole Good Shot? Netizens debate if her SUV was ‘turning away’ from ICE agents

During one of those protests on 24 January, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot and killed during a confrontation with immigration agents. Bystander video appears to show Pretti being tackled as he tried to shield a woman who had been pepper-sprayed. Federal officials said agents fired defensive shots after realizing he was armed. Videos show Pretti holding a phone, and footage indicates the gun he had on him had already been removed by officers at the time he was shot by two agents.

Also Read: Who was Alex Pretti? What we know about the 37-year-old man shot in Minneapolis

The Trump Administration has maintained that federal agents were acting in self-defence in each of the shootings.

Other deaths referenced by organizers

The website also mentions two other individuals who organizers allege were killed by federal agents.

One is Silverio Villegas González, a 38-year-old Mexican migrant who was shot and killed near Chicago on September 12. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), “ICE officers conducted a vehicle stop to arrest Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez. He refused to follow law enforcements commands and drove his car at law enforcement officers. One of the ICE officers was hit by the car and dragged a significant distance. Fearing for his own life, the officer fired his weapon.”

Also Read: ‘They murdered a man’: Whoopi Goldberg blasts Noem, Bovino over Alex Pretti shooting

Another individual named by organizers is Keith Porter Jr., a 43-year-old father of two, who was allegedly shot by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve outside his apartment complex, according to Los Angeles and federal officials.

A DHS spokesperson said, as quoted by the Guardian, the off-duty immigration officer was “forced to defensively use his weapon” while responding to an “active shooter.”