ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents in Minnesota, USA have killed two protesters over the past three weeks.
Renee Good, a wife and mother, was shot three times through the windshield of her car on January 7, 2026. Alex Pretti, a 37-year old ICU nurse, was shot several times after being beaten by ICE officers on January 24th, 2026.
These murders occurred amidst a massive surge of ICE officers entering the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, ostensibly targeting Somali illegal immigrants. The murder of Alex Pretti occurred less than 24 hours after a state-wide protest of over 50,000 people calling for the withdrawal of these very officers. Schools have been going into lockdown, as adults and children alike have been kidnapped off the streets, often without due process or in violation of their rights.
When faced with countless stories such as these in the media, it can be difficult to hold onto hope. However, it is vital to remember that oppressive regimes benefit from sowing division and feelings of hopelessness. Rather than allowing these feelings to take over, it is increasingly important to unify, to bear witness, and to raise the voices of the oppressed. People are not powerless, and every action can make a difference.
Since the drastic increase in ICE’s national presence, many communities have been protecting their neighbours in small and big ways. Many judicial systems and health institutions are working hard to keep sensitive information out of records which can be accessed by ICE. Across the nation, neighbours are delivering groceries, everyday people are filming ICE arrests, and immigration attorneys are working tirelessly to provide counsel for targeted immigrants.
Volunteers have been tracking ICE vehicles and preventing them from entering school zones and residential neighbourhoods. Local clergy have been protesting businesses that support ICE’s operations.
The global injustices happening today can evoke despair, confusion, and complacency. Bad political actors purposefully utilise those very feelings to take advantage of divisions between people.
As followers of Jesus, our communities and churches are called to choose compassion over indifference to the issues around us. We can learn from the communities of Minneapolis, and other active communities worldwide, that through collective solidarity, change can be made.
We pray for the strength to bear witness to the oppressive injustices occurring across the globe, to remain unified and hopeful, and to protect the vulnerable.
We pray for the American people as they grieve the loss of neighbors, friends, and family, and live in fear of practicing freedom of speech and protesting injustice.
We pray for the acts of solidarity and compassion spreading across the USA. We pray that there would be a withdrawal of ICE forces from all cities and neighbourhoods, and that its acts of violence and racism would cease.