1/9/2026
On Wednesday, January 7, 2026, ICE agents killed Renee Nicole Good, who bravely stood as a witness to the assault on her immigrant neighbors in Minneapolis amid weeks of escalating violence. Her death is a tragedy and a manifestation of devastating operations that continue to inflict unspeakable harm on Black and Brown migrant communities across the United States. As we honor and grieve Renee, we also hold the heaviness of grief, rage, and terror of those who have been and continue to be, unjustly targeted, displaced, detained, and silenced by systems designed to punish under the guise of public protection.
A Statement from YWCA Madison on Renee Good’s Death and Our Call for Justice
ICE violence is not isolated
ICE violence does not exist in isolation, nor is it confined to one city or one moment. It is embedded in a long and ongoing history of systemic racism and xenophobia that weaponizes fear, surveillance, and force, disrupting life in places where our communities exist: schools, workplaces, grocery stores, and neighborhood streets.
From Los Angeles and Portland to Chicago, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and here in Madison, Wisconsin, Black and Brown migrant communities continue to be targeted by ICE raids. The targeting of these cities is not accidental. Enforcement actions are strategically concentrated in places with large Black and Brown migrant communities, including Somali, Latine, Hmong and Southeast Asian communities, where visibility and vulnerability are leveraged to maximize fear. This strategy relies on intimidation and spectacle, provoking instability and eroding collective safety.
ICE does not act alone. Its power is sustained by law enforcement agencies that choose to share information, resources, and legitimacy in the name of public safety. According to the ACLU, as of July 2025, 13 local law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin have active 287(g) agreements with ICE, with more pending. These partnerships blur the line between policing and immigration enforcement, reinforcing racist systems of criminalization that harm Black and Brown communities. We call on law enforcement, who have a choice. They can continue collaborating with ICE and perpetuating harm, or they can end these partnerships and refuse to participate in systems that dehumanize and dispossess.
This Moment Calls US to Choose Intentionally
Grounded in YWCA Madison’s mission to eliminate racism and empower women, promoting peace, dignity, and justice for all, this moment calls on us to calibrate our hearts and move intentionally with our values of humanity, community, growth, and restoration. This moment holds the possibility of a turning point, if WE choose solidarity, unapologetic love, and collective liberation in our response.
As we navigate a time characterized by distraction and overload that leaves many of us disoriented and dysregulated, we must choose to see one another’s humanity as a path toward clarity. The constant barrage of authoritarian violence depends on disconnection and exhaustion that weakens our capacity to resist and reimagine. Our practice of solidarity, therefore, calls us to be present, spirited, and bold about who we are, what we stand for, and who we are standing with. We must be anchored in the deliberate choice of keeping each other safe and in remembrance of the sacred threads that bind us to one another.
Sustaining local collective efforts is one way we practice solidarity and protect one another in real time. Across our community, people are already doing this work. Local efforts led by Voces de la Frontera and the Dane County Rapid Response Network continue to protect the rights, safety, and dignity of migrants through collective action, mutual aid, care, and frontline organizing. As a community partner, we invite you to join us on Friday, January 9 at 5:00 PM at the top of State Street (Capitol Square) to honor the life of Renee Nicole Good. This vigil is an opportunity to gather in remembrance, connection, and care. Resources for supporting migrant communities in Minneapolis and Dane County will be available.
We are not waiting for a distant future. We are building the world we dream of through how we show up for one another, how we choose solidarity, and how we practice liberation every day. We do this by holding onto each other, caring in the midst of struggle, and protecting our joy. The world we dream of is being built here, now, together.
