‘There Are People Here Who Care:’ South Jersey Shows Solidarity After Deadly ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
Event Organizers and Attendees sing songs in solidarity with Ice Victims. Marla Jimenez is second from left. Photo by Vanessa Maria Graber
Vigils in Bridgeton and Atlantic City Join Others Around the Country In the Aftermath of Minnesota Federal Shooting That Caused Death of Renee Good
BY JUSTIN ROIG | For AC JosepH Media
BRIDGETON — On Friday Jan. 9, more than 160 community members from across Cumberland County gathered at the Aborrotes and Los Puentes grocery store parking lot in Bridgeton to honor the life of Renee Nicole Good, a poet and legal observer who was shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents during an immigration raid in Minneapolis, Minn.
Good was shot by killed while driving away from ICE agents on Wednesday, Jan. 7 while the agency was conducting immigration enforcement activities there. While the Trump administration claims Good was trying to hit the agents with her vehicle, independent video from numerous bystanders at the scene disputed that narrative, sparking outrage among people around the country.
ICE raids have disproportionately affected communities of color nationwide since President Donald Trump took office a year ago.
The Bridgeton vigil was organized by the Comité de Apoyo para Trabajadores Agrícolas (CATA), Cosecha Bridgeton, and the South Jersey Solidarity Collective.
Organizers stated that the event was open to those, “seeking space for reflection, grief, and solidarity amid the ongoing attacks on our immigrant community”, according to a press release from the three organizations.
The event started at 6:00 pm and began with the lighting of candles, bilingual chants and songs sung by attendees. The first speech was given by CATA General Coordinator Jessica Culley,
“Renee Nicole Good, a woman, a wife, a mother, a poet, and an ally for her community was murdered for having the audacity to stand up, and want to protect her community,” Cully said. “Many of us are here for the same reason, we have friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, who are directly impacted by this situation.”
Culley called on the crowd to center those individuals in a moment of quiet and say the names of the people the attendees were there for.
Invocation prayers were given by Capellana Ana Miguel of Ministerio Amor al Promijo and Sister Maria De Jesus Herrera of The Parish of the Holy Cross in Bridgeton. Both offered prayers for the family Renne Good and for those affected by immigration raids, praying for unity, protection, and comfort for those who are vulnerable.
“Thank you for being here and choosing the values that build community, and not destroy and divide,” said Sister Maria De Jesus in her speech.
Marla Jimenez, a CATA organizer and Cumberland County educator followed the invocation with a speech discussing the killing of Renee Good and the raiding of Roosevelt Highschool in Minneapolis, and other individuals whose deaths were due to interactions with ICE or ICE captivity.
“There have been 32 deaths in ICE custody just in the past two years alone. Did you know that 2025 was the deadliest year in the last two decades? 20 years! 2025 was the deadliest year in the last two decades, and all of those deaths have one thing in common, and that’s that they were all 100% preventable.”
Jimenez called on the community to take this opportunity to come together and show everyone that Bridgeton is a community of love, and that every small action matters.
“Don’t minimize what you do showing up today. You have no idea what this is doing to the people that are watching at home.”
Jimenez also spoke to how recent raids have affected the area’s youth, who she works with as an educator.
“They’re being forced to grow up because maybe the breadwinner, like the breadwinner, is gone, so now they’re being forced to choose between education and feeding their families, keeping their families afloat, keeping their families together.”
Jimenez, who is a farm workers’ advocate, also said there is a direct connection between the raids, which began occurring in December, and the end of the agricultural harvest season in South Jersey.
Several of vigil’s attendees expressed concern over the death of Renee Good and recent ICE activities in South Jersey.
Lawrence Garrity Jr., a Vineland Resident and activist, said he wants to see change from government officials.
“Our representatives at every level need to pass ITA’s, immigration trust acts. They need to step up and kick ice out of our communities. And at the federal level, we need to abolish ICE,” Garrity told Front Runner New Jersey.
John Maun, an Upper Deerfield Resident and Navy Veteran, spoke as to why he felt it was important for him to attend Friday’s vigil.
“I think it’s a continuation of the oath that I took when I joined the service to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign, domestic.”
Maun said he also wants to see change in how Federal agencies conduct themselves and are regulated, expressing concern that the Constitution has been thrown out entirely.
“I would like to see things go back to the way they used to be, where Homeland Security acted responsibly. They didn’t go to invade children in schools or go to churches or they did not attack people, where they weren’t running around with masks, guns, and looking like Gestapo.”
The location of the vigil Los Puentes was chosen due to it being the primary target for immigration raids in the Bridgeton community as an attempt to reclaim that space back towards the community.
The vigil closed out with the providing of resources and information to the community by organizers as a safety precaution for any future immigration activity by federal agencies. This included leaflets in English and Spanish with Know Your Rights information and the Cumberland County Rapid Response phone number, (888) 347-3767.
Marla Jimenez had this message for those impacted by immigration raids in South Jersey:
“They are not alone, despite their circumstances or whatever they may feel, there are people here who care. We are here to help, and we do have an organization that can either provide your resources or connect you to other organizations that will provide you resources to help you succeed through these difficult times.”
Organizers are recommending individuals who wish to get involved in supporting the immigrant community to reach out to them at (856) 881-2507.
Atlantic City Holds Rally in Front of NJ District 2 Offices Along Busy Atlantic Avenue
AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY — El Pueblo Unido Atlantic City and Atlantic City Indivisible Empathy United organized its vigil for Renee Good outside of the Legislative District 2 State Representative Offices at 3123 Atlantic Ave. The offices are that of State Sen. Vince Polistina and Assemblyman Don Guardian.
“Our vigil and protest were about more than one moment,” said Alice Carcilli, of Atlantic City Indivisible Empathy United after their event. “It was about protecting the soul of our community. Atlantic City is built on immigrant families and when fear enters our neighborhoods it touches every single one of us.
“By coming together to honor the life of Renee Nicole Good and lives lost in ICE custody, we are standing up to harmful policies and sending the message that in South Jersey we choose compassion over cruelty.”
Organizers said the vigil gave the community a public space to grieve together, to name the harm that detention policies cause locally, and to affirm that residents value human dignity, family unity, and community safety.
“This gathering brings hope to our community, encourages people to join our efforts, and builds collective power needed for real change,” Carcilli said.
Organizers said the protest attracted community members, educators, faith leaders, and local advocates.
“Atlantic City is a city built by immigrant labor, multigenerational families, and close-knit neighborhoods where what happens to one family is felt across entire blocks, schools, and faith communities,” organizers aid.
“When people die at the hands of ICE, it is not an abstract national issue. It is something that deepens fear, trauma, and instability for everyone in our South Jersey community.”
The organization also protested in front of U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s offices in Northfield on Sunday.
Note from AC JosepH Media: If you like this story and others posted on Front Runner New Jersey.com, lend us a hand so we can keep producing articles like these for New Jersey and the world to see. Click on SUPPORT FRNJ and make a contribution that will go directly in making more stories like this available. Thank you for reading!
About Author
