BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed Wednesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, has sparked outrage and reflection in communities across the country — including here in Bakersfield.
On Friday, local residents gathered outside the federal ICE building on Truxtun Avenue to express their grief, anger and concern over immigration enforcement practices. Passing drivers honked in solidarity as the small, peaceful demonstration unfolded.
Among the demonstrators was Ellen Chafhauser, the daughter of a World War II veteran, who said her family history motivates her to speak out.
“My father was Hungarian, and he fought in World War II against fascism,” Chafhauser said. “And that’s what I’m carrying on — his tradition.”
Susan Higgins, a Bakersfield resident who regularly gathers outside the Truxtun Avenue building, said she hopes the protest serves as a reminder of the country’s founding values.
“We live in an amazing country,” Higgins said. “But we’re not very amazing right now. We were started on amazing principles, but we’re not living into those right now.”
Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the farmworkers movement alongside Cesar Chavez, also joined the rally, warning that Good’s death could deepen fear in immigrant communities.
“I think this is going to inject even more fear into the community,” Huerta said. “If we want ICE out of our communities, all of us have to stand up, because we don’t know who the next victim will be.”
Audrey Chavez, a local activist and small business owner, stood alongside Higgins sharing her remorse over Good's death.
“We have to be able to understand how we, as the United States, can live with these types of occurrences in our country,” Chavez said.
Both Higgins and Chavez said they hope the moment prompts unity, regardless of political beliefs, and encourages residents to support one another as a community.
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