Dear Community,
Vision Change Win is deeply disturbed and enraged by the brutal killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on Wednesday, January 7 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The murder occurred during a protest against ICE agents seeking to arrest and deport immigrants; community leaders have reported she was acting as a Legal Observer. We mourn this loss to the Minneapolis left movement community and the broader movement fighting tirelessly to end the ICE attacks on our communities. This senseless killing comes only 24 hours after the president announced plans for a large-scale immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
We mourn not only the loss of life in Minneapolis, but the ongoing loss of safety and freedom for migrant communities. As we grieve, we also recognize that this killing marks a dangerous escalation in the risks facing movement workers, and community monitors.
ICE is a violent enforcement arm of the state developed less than 25 years ago and operates with impunity. ICE routinely conducts unlawful kidnappings of both documented and undocumented people, inflicting unspeakable harm on our communities, and tearing apart families.
Legal Observers are a vital part of the left movement infrastructure. They play a critical role bearing witness to state-sponsored violence, documenting harm, and supporting communities facing state repression. Their documentation is crucial evidence used to challenge these atrocities in the court of law and to share reliable and accurate information with the public.
Vision Change Win exists to support organizations navigating violent attacks from the state. We rise up in solidarity with Minneapolis organizers and the broader movement to call for the abolition of ICE. As organizers continue to take to the streets in defense of community safety for im/migrant communities, we encourage groups to use the Organizational Safety Risk Assessment Mini-Toolkit as a resource for reassessing conditions.
We are offering our upcoming GIFTS 201 session on Wednesday, January 14, 2-4pm EST free for organizations in need. This session will focus on building safety teams for events and actions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. We also remain available for urgent or emergent safety needs through our rapid response team.
In Solidarity,
Roxanne Lawson & the VCW Team