Candlelight Vigil Held In Tuscaloosa For Woman Killed by ICE

The shooting death on Wednesday of a mother of three by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent during a protest in Minneapolis has prompted candlelight vigils and demonstrations across the nation.

One Thursday night in downtown Tuscaloosa drew some 50 or so people to mourn the loss of Renee Nicole Macklin-Good, who federal agents claim attempted to run over an agent before shots were fired into her vehicle.

Gathering at the Shelby Federal Building, criticism was leveled at ICE and the Trump Administration for its massive immigration operations in Minnesota and across the nation. Participants claimed the 37-year-old was murdered by ICE and that President Trump is a tyrant.

The Colorado native's ex-husband, who asked not to be named out of concern for the safety of their children, said she had just dropped off their 6-year-old son at school and was driving home with her current partner when they encountered a group of ICE agents on a snowy Minneapolis street.

Trump administration officials characterized Macklin-Good as a domestic terrorist who attempted to hit federal agents with her car. However, video taken by people in the crowd shows an agent demanding that she open the door and reaching for the door handle. When the woman begins to pull forward, a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the vehicle at close range.

The F.B.I. has assumed complete control of the investigation and has reportedly refused to involve the Minneapolis Police in the follow-up.

Those at tonight's vigil in Tuscaloosa want the officer held accountable for his actions.

There was also a candlelight vigil in Birmingham tonight titled “From Birmingham to Minneapolis.” Organizers for the two events call both a memorial and a call for changes to immigration enforcement.

For more coverage of local news in West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.