Public outrage over the fatal shooting of a Minnesota activist by a federal immigration officer has ignited significant protests across major U.S. cities this weekend.

Demonstrations against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency erupted from New York to California, resulting in several arrests and raising concerns about potential nationwide unrest.

In Austin, police reported the arrest of at least three individuals following a protest near South Congress and East Sixth Street. This demonstration stemmed from a march that began at the J.J. Pickle Federal Building.

Footage from the protest captured tense moments as officers moved into crowds, with demonstrators shouting and one voice calling out, “We’re with you,” to a fellow protester being detained.

Texas authorities have taken a firm stance on managing the protests.

Governor Greg Abbott stated that the Texas Department of Public Safety would not tolerate defiant protests. Lt. Chris Olivarez, a spokesperson for the department, reiterated that while peaceful assembly is a right, any form of violence, threats to the public or law enforcement, obstruction of roadways, or property damage will be met with strict enforcement.

The clashes in Austin unfolded as part of a broader national backlash to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother who was fatally shot and killed during a confrontation with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis on Wednesday. 

That incident ignited protests under the banner ‘ICE Out for Good,’ with demonstrations reported from coast to coast. 

Federal officials have insisted the ICE agent who fired acted in self-defense, claiming Good ‘weaponized’ her SUV – a narrative fiercely disputed by protesters and local officials who have branded the shooting a ‘murder.’

As outrage intensified, cities across the country braced for escalating confrontations. In Austin and Los Angeles, protests turned chaotic as law enforcement moved in to clear streets, disperse crowds, and make arrests.

Austin 

Chaos erupted in downtown Austin on Saturday night as police charged into a screaming crowd of anti-ICE demonstrators who had blocked traffic near the J.J. Pickle Federal Building.

Video from the scene showed officers on bicycles and on foot rushing protesters as chants echoed through the street. One demonstrator could be heard shouting, ‘We’re with you,’ as another protester was dragged away in handcuffs.

An Austin Police Department spokesperson confirmed that at least five people were arrested during the clashes. 

Officers deployed pepper balls in an effort to disperse the crowd, while Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were also on scene.

Authorities said it remained unclear whether city or state police made the arrests or fired the projectiles.

The confrontation followed hours of escalating tension. 

The protest, organized under the banner ‘End ICE Terror,’ began near the federal building before demonstrators marched through downtown streets, repeatedly returning to the site where federal agents and local police had established a heavy presence.

Earlier in the day, hundreds gathered peacefully at Austin City Hall, chanting ‘No peace! No fear! Immigrants are welcome here!’ as a brass band played. But by nightfall, the mood had shifted.

Video from CBS Austin showed protesters clashing with police near Congress Avenue and East Sixth Street, where demonstrators blocked traffic. 

Federal officers were heard warning members of the media that the situation would become ‘spicy’ if crowds did not clear the roadway.

Austin resident Joanna Ford, an eighth-grade teacher, said Good’s death has shaken her students – including two who recently fled Venezuela.

‘What are we doing, you know? It’s just really disheartening,’ Ford said to KUT. ‘I feel like Ms. Good’s death is now going to be a catalyst, and if nothing changes after this, then I’m sorry. I feel like we’re doomed to become a fascist state.’

Retired city employee Elizabeth Gray called the shooting ‘entirely avoidable,’ arguing that ICE’s presence in cities like Austin represents a breakdown between local and federal authority.

‘I think it symbolized a complete separation of government, what government is supposed to do and what government is doing,’ Gray said to Austin Public Radio. 

‘And I think that this murder symbolized the complete failure of our government to do – to be of, by and for the people.’

Austin-area Congressman Greg Casar joined the rally, urging demonstrators to keep showing up as he read a note from Good’s wife emphasizing ‘there is good in this world.’

‘There has to be a world where things get better,’ Casar said.

Los Angeles 

In Los Angeles, hundreds of demonstrators flooded downtown streets on Saturday night, prompting police to issue dispersal orders and form skirmish lines outside federal facilities.

The protest centered around Pershing Square before crowds marched toward City Hall and the Metropolitan Detention Center. 

By 6pm, the LAPD issued a dispersal order covering Alameda Street from Aliso Street to Temple Street, citing public safety concerns.

Police said several people were arrested after refusing to leave the area.

‘The dispersal order was issued and those people refused to leave the area as instructed to do so,’ LAPD said in a statement.

Video from the scene showed officers advancing in formation as protesters shouted slogans condemning ICE and federal immigration enforcement. 

Demonstrations had already erupted across Southern California the night before, including in Santa Ana, where Department of Homeland Security officers were seen forcibly pulling individuals from a crowd.

Among the protesters was Ruben Garcia, 64, a Los Angeles native wearing a Dodgers jersey and waving an upside-down American flag – a traditional signal of distress.

‘The bottom line is, we’re really angry,’ Garcia said. ‘They shot a woman.’

Nationwide, protests have also flared in Portland, Oregon, New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia, with organizers saying more than 1,000 demonstrations were planned under the slogan ‘ICE Out for Good’ – a phrase referencing both ICE and the slain activist.

Minneapolis 

In Minneapolis, where Good was killed, thousands marched from Powderhorn Park to Lake Street, chanting her name through immigrant neighborhoods. 

Mayor Jacob Frey said most protests had remained peaceful although 29 were arrested on Friday night for vandalizing property.

‘We will not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own brand of chaos in Minneapolis,’ Frey insisted.

In Washington, demonstrators gathered outside the White House chanting ‘ICE out for Good!’ as rain poured down. 

In New York City, first-time protesters packed Lower Manhattan outside ICE’s field office.

Leah Silverman, a 20-year-old college student from Arizona, said she joined the New York protest after watching footage of Good’s death.

‘People are willing to ignore what their eyes see,’ she said to the New York Times. ‘I’m here to say that I’m disappointed and angry with what I saw.’

Federal authorities maintain that the shooting was justified, while local officials in Minnesota have accused federal agencies of excluding them from the investigation.

Cell phone footage reportedly taken by the agent involved has only fueled controversy, showing Good telling officers, ‘I’m not mad at you,’ moments before shots rang out.

As protests continue to spread police are preparing for more clashes over the weekend with the killing of Good has becoming a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.