Fontana Protesters Condemn ICE, Trump After Death of Renee Nicole Good
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Photos by Christopher Salazar: Concerned activists and residents rallying outside Fontana City Hall during a candlelight vigil organized to honor Renee Nicole Good and condemn political violence at home and abroad, Saturday, Jan. 10.
A crowd of roughly 50 residents and activists gathered in Fontana Saturday evening, Jan. 10, for a candlelight vigil protesting the killing of 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good, the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. actions abroad. Organizers called on federal and local leaders to stop what they described as unlawful violations of the Constitution and international law.
The vigil comes one week after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was captured and brought back to the United States to face charges of narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking and weapons charges, according to Reuters. Speakers at the vigil described Maduro’s capture and the killing of Good as part of an escalation of state violence.
The Trump administration has defended the actions of ICE and Jonathan Ross, whom protesters blame for Good’s death, as lawful. While difficult to sue those with qualified immunity, some lawyers and legal experts refute the White House’s position and have sought to bring Ross to justice.
In Fontana, as wind gusts in excess of 30 mph rushed through the region, protesters assembled with signs and banners outside the City Hall entrance, chanting slogans and listening to speakers who criticized the human cost of Trump’s foreign and domestic policies. Organizers framed the vigil as an act of solidarity with civilians affected by federal escalation and as a warning against what they view as unchecked authoritarian and executive power.
Protesters alleged that Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren supports ICE activity in the city and the Trump administration’s actions more broadly. At the time of publication, Mayor Warren has not responded to a request for comment.
Joz Sida, a longtime Fontana resident currently campaigning for mayor, helped organize the demonstration. During an interview, she said she wanted to give space for the community to exercise their rights, adding that many in Fontana have been physically, morally and emotionally injured by ICE.
“This vigil was to honor those who have passed, like Renee Good, and all those who have died in the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and all those who have been separated from their families and deported to third world countries that they’re not even part of,” Sida said.
She also emphasized the harm the current political animus will have on children.
“The other day, I went to give out gifts to children that were impacted by ICE and a little girl told me . . . ‘I didn’t think Santa Claus was going to find me,’” Sida said. “We’re forgetting that these moments that we’re living in, these children are going to internalize this forever . . . because they are treated as less than human.”
Attendees said the demonstration was motivated by growing concern over ICE brutality and U.S. military actions that they argue lack congressional authorization and international legitimacy. Several speakers referenced the broader U.S. history of militarized force imposed on civilians at home and abroad, emphasizing civilian casualties, displacement and long-term instability.
Luz Perez, a resident running for Fontana city council, attended the vigil and spoke to IECN about the chaos and betrayal she says many Latinos in the Inland Empire feel every day as ICE and the administration’s foreign policy moves contradict Trump’s campaign promises.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of Latinos here in Fontana, as you know, we’re a majority Latino city, and a lot of them also have voted for Trump,” Perez said. “And they have shared a lot of anger and disappointment and betrayal, because our communities are under attack. Trump promised that there wasn’t going to be war with him, but now we have bombed Venezuela at the very beginning of the year.”
When asked about the gravity of Good’s loss, Perez commented on the tragedy, emphasizing that she sees it as a vital form of political reorientation.
“I hope it’s a pivotal moment,” Perez said. “I hope that people can recognize that it can happen to anyone.”
