Houston Protesters Invoke “Presente” for Woman Killed by ICE

As dusk fell over Dunlavy Park on Friday, a large group of people from Houston gathered to remember Renee Nicole Macklin Good, the woman from Minneapolis who was killed earlier this week by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. They employed a popular Latin American call-and-response ritual to honor those who have suffered injustice.

Cesar Espinosa, who is the head of the immigrant rights group FIEL Houston, called out Good's name. Every time, everyone in the crowd said, "Presente!" The chant showed that Good, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, is still with us in spirit as anger and sadness spread across cities across the country.

The White House called Good a "domestic terrorist" because they say she tried to hurt federal police at a protest against immigration. Videos of the meeting have led to a lot of criticism from people who say the videos show otherwise.

A 72-year-old language teacher named Patty Harlan got there early and held anti-ICE signs on the Dunlavy bridge over U.S. 59 while telling drivers to honk. "You must depend on these people," she told him. I am talking about the US government, ICE, and Kristi Noem, who is the secretary of homeland security. All of these people are involved in a cover up. "We all know that Jonathan Ross killed a woman," she said.

Harlan warned that Houston should not have the same kind of unrest as places like Minneapolis, Chicago, and Portland, where protesters and federal agents have fought after President Trump's immigration crackdown brought in a lot of ICE and Border Patrol officers.

A deacon with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America named Kinnon Falk said he is worried that the rhetoric surrounding the police push could make things worse. He said, "I think they are trying to divide people even more." "I feel like we are on edge right now, and things like this can really set things off."

Marchers moved to a bridge over a freeway, waving signs that said ICE should leave Houston and that people should stand with the city's immigrant community. The crowd grew. In response, drivers honked their horns, and protesters cheered and shouted.

Members of FIEL have frequently questioned Mayor John Whitmire and the Houston City Council about the Houston Police Department's work with ICE, which has done large-scale raids in the area. Espinosa led chants of "We will be back!" at the end of the gathering. As the protesters went back to the park, they yelled, "We will be back!"

Friday's protest was Houston's second in two days. This shows how Good's death has inspired local activists and linked the city to a larger national movement calling for federal immigration enforcement to be held accountable and limited.

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