Coalition Statement on ICE Killings
The Protect The Protest Coalition grieves the killings of Keith Porter, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti, the shootings in Portland, and the ongoing deaths of people in ICE custody. These are not isolated events, they are symptoms of systems that devalue human life, especially the lives of Black, Brown, immigrant, and marginalized people. ICE has killed 9 people so far in 2026, and in 2025, 32 people died while in ICE custody, often due to medical neglect. This is the largest number of yearly deaths at the hands of ICE since 2004. ICE has been separating families and inflicting violence since before 2025, with Keith, Renee, and Alex being the most recent and enraging moments for our communities.
We are holding deep sorrow for the families and loved ones whose lives have been permanently altered by this violence, including separation and death. We also share the heavy load of fear, anger, and exhaustion that many in our communities are carrying right now.
Despite the agency's blatant disregard for lives, the law, and due process, the current administration’s funding for ICE has increased dramatically. The agency now has a higher military budget than all but 15 countries globally, with:
$45 billion going toward the detention of immigrant adults and families,
$32 billion for agents and operations related to enforcement and deportation,
$75 billion in border enforcement for surveillance,
and billions more for state and local enforcement, DOJ funds for prosecution, and new immigration judges.
Billions of dollars are being allocated toward harassing and deporting immigrants while most Americans struggle to afford health care, groceries, and other necessities. This terror is inflicted at the expense of critical social services that could help fill these gaps.
This egregiously funded agency is not only tolerating, but encouraging, their agents to obscure their identity and act with impunity as they carry out racial profiling, vicious detentions, and extra-judicial killings. Recent changes have created barriers that prevent victims from pursuing justice for violations by ICE. Now individuals harmed by an ICE agent’s actions must pursue justice solely through a slow and complicated process laid out by the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Cases brought under the FTCA lack incentives to bring the cases forward with no statutory attorney fees, capped damages, and no individual liability on the defendants' part. This is yet another unjust impediment brought about by the current administration that serves to protect ICE agents from prosecution for the harm they are causing to our immigrant communities and those acting in solidarity with them.
We see the impacts of increased funding and a culture of impunity in the recent killings of Keith Porter,Renee Good, and Alex Pretti, and the many thousands of immigrants being violently ripped from their communities and stripped of their right to due process. This rogue agency will only continue to escalate violence against immigrants and non-immigrants alike if we don’t take a collective stand against their actions and fight for an end to their presence on our streets and in our communities.
We are also deeply concerned by the increasing infringement on the rights of protesters and legal observers. Legal observing is a protected activity. Legal observers are trained individuals who attend demonstrations to monitor and document the conduct of law enforcement. They typically do not participate in protests, do not engage with police, and do not direct crowd activity. Their role is to observe, record, and provide accountability. This work is critical in safeguarding civil liberties and combating the ongoing erosion of democratic rights. As public demonstrations become more heavily policed, the presence of trained legal observers is more important than ever to ensure transparency, protect our rights, and preserve trust.
The consequences do not stop with one group or one moment. These actions affect everyday people: workers, students, families, neighbors. They determine whether you can safely speak out about issues of concern in your community, whether you can participate in a public assembly without fear, and whether anyone is watching when power is abused. The right to dissent, to bear witness, and to demand accountability are core American values. Eroding them undermines the promise of a society built on liberty, justice, and equal protection under the law.
We are witnessing the dangerous consequences of unchecked power and impunity. In multiple instances this year alone, including the killings of Keith Porter, Renee Good, and Alex Pretti, federal immigration enforcement has operated in the way that paramilitary forces have operated in other countries, with little transparency and almost no accountability. Agents have been seen often in plain clothes or masks, their identities shielded until community pressure demands disclosure. These are not abstract headlines; they are people’s parents, children, loved ones, and citizens whose rights are continuing to be violated in broad daylight. Official narratives have leaned on rhetoric about “domestic terrorism” and public safety, even as video evidence and eyewitness accounts raise serious questions about those claims and the disregard for protected activities like protest, speech, legal observing, and filming. The ability to record and document is not optional, it is essential for accountability and for every person’s ability to protect themselves and their communities. ICE’s actions are part of a broader pattern: across five states and Washington, D.C., at least nine people have been shot by immigration agents since last year, with multiple deaths and countless injuries drawing outrage nationwide.
What we’re seeing is not isolated, but systemic. In this moment, corporations and institutions like major retailers, delivery platforms, and employers, have a role to play in affirming customer and employee safety. We see brave individuals and leaders stepping forward, such as Ryman Lebeau, Tribal Chairman of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe taking a stand for community accountability. Others should follow suit in asserting values over silence. Even when fear is real and justified, withdrawing isn’t the only option. There are risk-aware ways to show up, to support one another, and to sustain long-term resistance and care. This moment is the beginning of a long haul toward justice and collective protection, where showing up for the vulnerable is not all-or-nothing, but deeply rooted in mutual care.
In moments like this, it is easy to feel powerless or overwhelmed. We believe that by coming together, we resist both violence and despair. We reject narratives that normalize death, detention, and state violence as inevitable. Every person deserves safety, dignity, and the right to live without fear.
As a coalition, Protect the Protest demands systems that prioritize life over punishment, compassion over cruelty, and justice over silence. An attack on one of us is an attack on us all. We won’t let state violence paralyze us or this movement. We rise and we are stronger together.
Resources to help protect yourself and your community from ICE and other state violence:
