As we end this week, the Collaborative is back with another Stories of the Week recap. From the fatal ICE shooting of a 37-year-old mother of three in Minneapolis to U.S. military actions in Venezuela, here are the top stories impacting im/migrant well-being from January 2nd to January 9th.
– Thomas J. Rachko, Jr.
TOP STORY OF THE WEEK
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot 37-year-old mother of three, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Protests and vigils took place in several parts of the city and across the country condemning the shooting.
US immigration agent fatally shoots woman in Minneapolis
NATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Minneapolis shooting is a brutal start to Trump’s ‘largest operation’ targeting immigrants
“I don’t think we should be surprised that this has been happening,” Setareh Ghandehari, the advocacy director at Detention Watch Network, a non-profit that tracks deaths in ICE custody told The Guardian. “And unfortunately I think there is definitely a chance of an incident like this happening again if the administration and ICE continue to be allowed to act with impunity and without any semblance of accountability.”
Before ICE Shooting, Immigration Agents Repeatedly Used Deadly Force
The fatal shooting of Renee Good was preceded by at least three other people fatally shot by federal officers in the last five months according to analysis by the Marshall Project. Agents have also shot other people and pointed their guns at activists and bystanders underscoring the danger of hyper-militarized immigration enforcement to the well-being of both immigrants and U.S. citizens.
The Realities of Our Rapidly Changing Immigration Landscape
The rapid changes in the U.S. immigration system have created additional expenses and roadblocks for immigrants. The system is complicated and complex often taking many years to navigate – Reno-based immigration attorney Kyle Edgerton likened the system to a “nightmare flow chart.”
INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Colombia sees ‘real threat’ of US military action, president tells BBC
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro told BBC News that he believes there is a “real threat” of the United States taking military action against Colombia. Following the U.S.’s military action in Venezuela, he added, “instead of a United States dominating the world – an imperial dream – it is a United States isolated from the world. An empire was not built by being isolated from the world.”
Trump Announces U.S. Withdrawal from Dozens of International Groups and U.N. Agencies
On January 7th, the Trump administration announced a new presidential action entitled “Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States.” The action withdraws the U.S. from international organizations like the UN Peacebuilding Fund, Global Counterterrorism Forum, and International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
US actions in Venezuela ‘constitute a dangerous precedent’: Guterres
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that the U.S. military actions in Venezuela “constitute a dangerous precedent.” The UN human rights chief Volker Türk also urged respect for international law: “The protection of the people of Venezuela is paramount and must guide any further action.”
HEART-WARMERS OF THE WEEK
In pictures: Protests held in US cities after woman shot dead by immigration agent
Thank you for reading the IWB Stories of the Week series! Stay tuned for next week’s edition.
Thomas J. Rachko, Jr. serves as Policy Lead at the Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative. He works alongside affiliate scholars to translate academic research in accessible ways for policymakers, advocates, and activists to make change