Minneapolis Councilman Sees Echo of 2020 Protests in ICE Killing Amidst Outrage Over Fatal Shooting
As Minneapolis reeled from the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, an immigrant at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Wednesday, local officials were grappling with a familiar feeling - déjà vu. Soren Stevenson, the city council member whose face was once peppered with rubber bullets during 2020 protests sparked by George Floyd's police brutality death, echoed those sentiments.
Stevenson's own experience of being shot in the face during the protests left him with a lost eye and damaged sense of smell. Speaking at Plaza Mexico mall, where half the stores were closed due to community-wide fear, he recounted how his neighborhood was again on the center stage of national controversy. "We're sitting here in a place that is bustling at lunchtime, and it's virtually empty," Stevenson said, highlighting the eerie quietness that had gripped his district.
The parallels between then and now were stark. The Trump administration's renewed focus on immigration enforcement in Minnesota mirrored its 2020 campaign to dismantle local immigration reform efforts. The city councilman expressed a shared sentiment among Minneapolis residents: "We're not gonna go quietly." Despite the uncertainty surrounding ICE's intentions, Stevenson vowed to fight for change, promising to explore ways to make the agency's job more difficult.
The tragic events at Plaza Mexico brought out long-dormant feelings of community resilience. Neighbors banded together with mutual aid networks, offering rides and groceries to each other as fear fueled their lives. For Stevenson, it was a reminder that Minneapolis residents had navigated crises before - including protests in 2020 that shook the nation.
With thousands gathering for a vigil for Renee Nicole Good on Thursday night, Stevenson noted that people were feeling the echoes of the past but were also forging new paths forward together. "That sense of community is our immune system," he emphasized.
As state and local authorities pressed for federal access to case files, Minneapolis residents sought clearer action from their elected officials. The phones in Stevenson's office rang continuously as constituents urged him and other city leaders to take decisive steps against ICE. However, the uncertainty surrounding his role and potential responses highlighted just how daunting it was to confront a federal government bent on its goals.
The vigil at Plaza Mexico eventually dwindled down, with only makeshift barriers left in place where Renee Nicole Good was shot to death. Yet for Stevenson, as he walked through the site, it served as a poignant reminder of the community's capacity to come together once more and rise above fear - echoing the same resilience that defined Minneapolis during its darkest hour of 2020 protests.
As Minneapolis reeled from the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, an immigrant at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Wednesday, local officials were grappling with a familiar feeling - déjà vu. Soren Stevenson, the city council member whose face was once peppered with rubber bullets during 2020 protests sparked by George Floyd's police brutality death, echoed those sentiments.
Stevenson's own experience of being shot in the face during the protests left him with a lost eye and damaged sense of smell. Speaking at Plaza Mexico mall, where half the stores were closed due to community-wide fear, he recounted how his neighborhood was again on the center stage of national controversy. "We're sitting here in a place that is bustling at lunchtime, and it's virtually empty," Stevenson said, highlighting the eerie quietness that had gripped his district.
The parallels between then and now were stark. The Trump administration's renewed focus on immigration enforcement in Minnesota mirrored its 2020 campaign to dismantle local immigration reform efforts. The city councilman expressed a shared sentiment among Minneapolis residents: "We're not gonna go quietly." Despite the uncertainty surrounding ICE's intentions, Stevenson vowed to fight for change, promising to explore ways to make the agency's job more difficult.
The tragic events at Plaza Mexico brought out long-dormant feelings of community resilience. Neighbors banded together with mutual aid networks, offering rides and groceries to each other as fear fueled their lives. For Stevenson, it was a reminder that Minneapolis residents had navigated crises before - including protests in 2020 that shook the nation.
With thousands gathering for a vigil for Renee Nicole Good on Thursday night, Stevenson noted that people were feeling the echoes of the past but were also forging new paths forward together. "That sense of community is our immune system," he emphasized.
As state and local authorities pressed for federal access to case files, Minneapolis residents sought clearer action from their elected officials. The phones in Stevenson's office rang continuously as constituents urged him and other city leaders to take decisive steps against ICE. However, the uncertainty surrounding his role and potential responses highlighted just how daunting it was to confront a federal government bent on its goals.
The vigil at Plaza Mexico eventually dwindled down, with only makeshift barriers left in place where Renee Nicole Good was shot to death. Yet for Stevenson, as he walked through the site, it served as a poignant reminder of the community's capacity to come together once more and rise above fear - echoing the same resilience that defined Minneapolis during its darkest hour of 2020 protests.
like they think they can just waltz into our neighborhoods and shoot ppl without any consequences 
. i feel for soren stevenson, been through that same stuff in 2020 protests, lost an eye and all... but u can't just give up, gotta keep pushing for change 
. i love how the community is coming together now, neighbors helping neighbors, it's beautiful 
. we need more ppl like soren who aren't afraid to speak out against injustice 
. can't let ICE get away with this stuff, gotta hold them accountable 
.
. I mean, can you believe ICE is still doing this stuff? It's like they're trying to stir up more drama and division. And Soren Stevenson's story is crazy - I feel bad for him having to go through all that trauma in 2020 and now facing it again. The thing that got me is how the whole city of Minneapolis is coming together to support each other, though... it's really beautiful 
. We need more people speaking out against ICE's actions and fighting for justice, you know?
like, didn't we already deal with all this stuff back in 2020? 
but seriously though it's so messed up that an ICE agent lost their eye and Renee Nicole Good had to die 
can we PLEASE just get some answers on what's going on here? 
how is the city council handling this situation? is Soren Stevenson really just gonna sit back and let this happen again? 
The fact that Soren Stevenson is standing up for change after going through his own traumatic experience as a protester in 2020 shows us that we've got leaders on our side 
. We need more of this resilience, not just in Minneapolis but across the country! 
it sounds so familiar to what happened back in 2020 
. i think what's really scary here is the federal government's willingness to go after people like reneé nicole good without any accountability 
. we need our elected officials to take a stand against this kind of aggression from ICE 
.
soren stevenson's story gave me chills tho - lost an eye & damaged sense of smell from being shot in 2020 protests... now he's facing similar uncertainty 
what can be done to hold ice accountable? i'm all about those community resilience vibes though 
We can't let fear take over, but instead let's rise above it like we did during George Floyd's protests 
but honestly, how many more people gotta get hurt before something changes? 
but u feel me, the gov's actions are still super uncertain & scary 
stevenson said somethin about the community bein their immune system