On Saturday, a significant gathering of over a thousand peaceful demonstrators took to the streets of Fort Worth, joining countless others across the nation in a show of solidarity against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This mobilization followed the tragic shooting of an unarmed 37-year-old mother, Renee Nicole Good, by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
Good’s death on January 7 marks a grim chapter, occurring just after a year that saw 32 detainee fatalities, the highest number in over two decades for ICE. Her case is not isolated; it comes in the wake of other recent incidents involving ICE, including the fatal shooting of Keith Porter Jr. in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve, and the shootings of Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras in Portland the day after Good’s death.
The crowd that gathered at General Worth Square aimed not only to honor those who have lost their lives or gone missing due to ICE actions but also to convey a powerful message: the demand for ICE to vacate Fort Worth permanently.
Protesters wielded signs calling for the abolition of ICE, seeking justice for Renee Good, and highlighting connections between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, all while chanting loudly, “Fuck ICE.” The event was organized by progressive groups, including Indivisible12 and the DFW branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, who stressed the urgent need for community action.
One of the poignant stories shared was that of Maher Tarabishi, an Arlington resident who has recently been detained by ICE. A community leader from the Party for Socialism and Liberation emphasized the impact of such detentions, stating, “This is one of our community members who has been terrorized by ICE, and we demand that he come home to his family because families belong together.”
Maher Tarabishi, a 62-year-old Jordanian father and caregiver to his disabled son, is currently confined in the Bluebonnet Detention Facility in Dallas, leaving his son without the essential care he requires. Those wishing to support the Tarabishi family can find more information through the handle @freemahertarabishi.
