On a rainy Saturday, January 10, hundreds of area residents attended a protest vigil in Jenkintown for Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis woman who was fatally shot by a federal immigration agent on January 7.

Elected officials in attendance included Senator Art Haywood and State Representative Ben Sanchez, both of Abington Township, and State Representative Napoleon Nelson, who serves Cheltenham, Jenkintown, and Springfield.

“Renee Good was the victim of a violent unaccountable ICE. We cannot allow this gross violation of our dignity in America,” Senator Haywood said during the vigil. He also posted this:

Representative Sanchez posted the following:

A democratic country that does not allow for discourse is no longer democratic.

She was a mother, daughter, spouse, citizen of the United States of America and a human being and she did not deserve to die for objecting to the disgraceful actions of our current administration.

While I serve all of my constituents in my position in state government I will never abandon my morals and values. I stood with our fellow community members today to remember Renee Nicole Good and demand the end to the modern day Gestapo that has been terrorizing our country. Mr. Trump, no one is above the law, end this now.

If you’ve taken a weekend drive by the Target along Old York Road in Abington Township over the past few months, you may have seen a crowd lining the sidewalks, signs with various political mantras in hand.

If you drove by between 1:00pm and 2:00pm on Sunday, January 11, you passed an “ICE Out for Good” protest.

We were invited to attend, so we did. From our visit:

The vigil and the protest—part of an ongoing series that gathers on the third Saturday of each month—were organized by Indivisible Greater Jenkintown (IGJ), Abington for Peace (AFP), and Community for Change.

Given the intensity of the debate and an endless rabbit hole of arguments, we thought it worthwhile to speak with the organizers of IGF and AFP, as well as Representative Sanchez. (We also reached out to Senator Haywood’s office multiple times and have not received a response at the time of this writing.) The idea is to give readers a sense of the groups’ raisons d’etre and the rationale behind the demonstrations and demands.

IGJ’s organizers asked to remain anonymous. Amy Martin, founder and director of AFP, described the organization as “full-on grassroots” while IGJ is a chapter of a national organization. According to Martin, “both organizations are trying to do work in our communities for a better, safer, equitable future for all.” She also added:

If you’re a Republican or right-leaning individual that is no longer comfortable with that ideology, we would welcome you, but we’re not supporting Republicans. We’re liberally oriented. That’s who we are. We want everything to be peaceful but we’re also going to stand up and be loud about things we believe in.

We asked questions over the phone regarding, for example, the groups’ origins, the potential for compromise, and the nearly instantaneous conclusions regarding the Minneapolis incident. We emailed direct quotes for adjustments and approval. The unmodified responses, along with brief descriptions of backgrounds and related viewpoints, are below, followed by our take on the matter.

Sidenote: We shared the details of Abington’s vigil for Charlie Kirk in the fall. If there were ongoing public protests put on by Republican-led organizations, we would speak with them as well (if such a thing exists, please let us know).

GL: How long has Abington for Peace (AFP) / Indivisible Greater Jenkintown (IGJ) existed?

IGJ: We’ve been registered with the national Indivisible since January 2025. Leadership from 15 or more groups from around the region meet and cross-share activities and support mutual support. We also regularly coordinate with chapters across the state.

AFP: The group was created in 2014 but we changed the name in 2020.

I have MS. One of the main reasons I started AFP was so that I didn’t have to travel as often. It was originally three of us, two from Abington and the other from Springfield Township. We decided to focus mainly on Abington. We now have five core members. We would love to grow the group and have a Google form available if you’re interested in getting involved.

We’ve done a handful of large events in Abington and each time the cause has been different. We aren’t pigeonholed into specific domains. We can support whatever cause we want to. The goal of Abington for Peace is to spread awareness, provide information and outlets in the form of protests, rallies and other events, and to support our community and the greater community in various ways, depending on what crucial issues arise. We partner with other groups (IGF, Community for Change) to build bridges amongst other grassroots groups that are doing the same work in Montgomery County and beyond.

GL: What’s your background and/or how did you get involved? Have you personally participated in prior movements/protests?

IGJ: [IGJ abstained from this question]

AFP: I’ve volunteered and been a member of the board of a local nonprofit that serves children living in the shelter system in Philadelphia for many years. We used to have a holiday party for 500 children that was considered our flagship project. So I would say that I was more conscious of social issues as opposed to the political side of the spectrum. Trump winning the 2016 presidential election was an eye-opener. I wasn’t very politically minded prior. I’m a retired executive chef diagnosed with MS. I was on a different path. Then I had children and created a small business. After the election everything changed. I had to explain to my kids how a person who says horrible things about others could become president. That ignited me and I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. Something that would allow me to show my children that we need to stand up for our rights and the rights for others. This was going to be a moment that we would not forget. I heard about the women’s march in Washington and was considering going to that, however with my MS symptoms, it would’ve made it very difficult. A short time later someone sent me information about the Philadelphia march and I immediately reached out to find out how I could get involved. I was a part of the march for all four years in Philadelphia.

Through the Women’s March on Philadelphia I learned how to organize large events and it was the catalyst for AFP. It’s been a wonderful experience working with a small but mighty group of likeminded people that have become lifelong friends.

[Representative Sanchez (RS) told us that he was invited to the vigil by Sue-Ann DiVito, and follows Abington for Peace on social media.]

GL: What are you hoping IGF/AFP and/or the protest series accomplishes?

IGJ: [Regarding the vigil] Activists across this country have made personal sacrifices to protect vulnerable communities, defend legal rights, build grassroots power, and hold elected officials accountable. Last week one of our own was killed in the street while doing this important work. We came together to honor her life, to grieve the country we thought we lived in where helping our neighbors and communities might make us late for dinner but wouldn’t risk our very lives and to recommit ourselves to the work of building the kind of country we all deserve to live in.

[Regarding the “Ice out for Good” protest on January 11] After a moment of reflection and mourning, there comes a need to take some action. After the killing of Renee Nicole Good, there was a public roar to get into the streets and show the disgust of the violence of ICE. This local protest was part of a nationwide effort to give folks an opportunity to speak out, and send a message to our elected officials that Americans will not tolerate gaslighting from our government or violence against peaceful resisters. We also give our members actions they can take to effect local policy changes, join neighborhood immigrant support groups, and attend other community-building events. We don’t just wave signs, we take effective peaceful action.

[Regarding the protest series] Since Trump’s inauguration, our members have expressed a strong desire to come together and drive meaningful change. Americans are tired of a government that works for corporate interests and not for them. These protests are not just about standing around waving signs, we build community, collect for mutual aid, share actions people can take to support their neighbors and hold elected officials accountable. In a world where we are isolated by social media, it’s so important for people to stand side-by-side and feel a sense of togetherness. There’s so much positive energy and since last year the size of the crowd has grown and we bring new people each time we are out there. We give everyone a sense of our presence and our values and it gives social permission for them to step up and get involved in issues that they care about.

AFP: Awareness, number one. That location is prime because there’s always traffic. I think it gives people an opportunity to come out and speak their mind around any number of causes. The ongoing protests are more generalized depending on what you’re upset about at the moment. We want to hold truth to power and let our community that there’s always something to stand up and fight for.

It’s about being with likeminded people and getting out of the house, out from behind a computer or phone and standing next to someone who feels the same way you do. Finding joy is also resistance, and it can be joyous to be around likeminded people. That’s important to do. It’s a form of self-care in a way. It can recharge your battery.

RS: I’m hoping they raise awareness of what we are seeing unfolding on the streets across the country. That they keep this aggressive intrusion in communities from becoming normalized. What we are seeing happen is something that should concern everyone. There’s a lack of humanity and due process and there’s no place for it in a democratic nation largely built on the backs of immigrants.

GL: During media outbursts like we’ve seen since the incident involving Renee Nicole Good, many people (our readers included) tend to see through the lens of party affiliation. In your view, what defines the differences between those realities as they relate to ICE activity? How would you describe the competing viewpoints?

IGJ: We believe this issue becomes partisan because the proper role of law enforcement has been politicized. Indivisible is nonpartisan, we believe in government accountability to the people. We deeply value and appreciate our positive working relationship with our honorable local law enforcement who have supported us during our events and worked closely with us on local policies to ensure public safety. However, we do not support the violence and community disruption brought by ICE into our communities. Although some see ICE as law enforcement, we think more nuance is needed in the conversation. Law enforcement isn’t just about carrying a badge and a gun, it’s about accountability, public trust and effectiveness in addressing public safety. We see these as egregious failures of ICE as a supposed law enforcement agency. Above all, law enforcement must follow the law.

AFP: To some degree, those of us that are super MAGA or super left leaning, we only see only the things we want to see. For example, I saw a video that was somewhat blurry, so it did look like she hit this officer. If I’m only hearing the MAGA megaphone, of course I’m going to believe that. I don’t agree with it, but it makes sense to me. I think we have to do a little more digging than that. There’s a lot of footage from the incident that disproves that she hit him.

I think there are a lot of facts that people are minimizing or denying. ICE are not police. They’re not the same. I think the line is being blurred and people who are informed don’t believe it.

I try to understand others’ perspectives. It’s not easy. And that can go for both sides. I think it comes down to ideology. I do not agree with the majority of what Republicans are espousing.

RS: This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Period. The fact that a once lawful and legitimate department of our federal government is being politicized and weaponized to hurt people is deeply disturbing. ICE was not created to be a modern-day Gestapo. What we are seeing today is ICE hyper aggressively dragging people out of their cars, their homes and businesses without judicial warrants and due process. Taking people who are not a threat to public safety and who are often taxpayers who contribute to our communities in so many ways and manhandling them to comply with ICE’s orders should be disturbing to everyone. They are not just arresting people with unlawful backgrounds, they are, for lack of a better word, kidnapping indiscriminately. There are many reports of citizens and long-term residents being taken in mass and sometimes targeted arrests. There are even multiple reports of Native Americans being wrongfully arrested because of the color of their skin. This is not normal. This is not America. No one should want this.

GL: The IGJ website says part of its mission is to “shine a light on the dangers of political extremism”. Are you seeking a middle ground regarding ICE activity? If so, what would that look like?

IGJ: We don’t believe that combating extremism always means looking for common ground or that there is a middle ground regarding current ICE operations and the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. What does halfway to racial profiling and dehumanizing people look like? They’re detaining people from asylum courts and places of work which is inconsistent with their assertions that they are targeting the worst of the worst criminals. They have revoked the legal status of 1.6 million immigrants, aspiring Americans, already on a documented path. This is inconsistent with their claims they are targeting those who came here by illegal means. There are fundamental problems with our immigration system and we don’t think they’re solved by ambushing people in the streets. [This link was included in the response]

AFP: [AFP abstained from this question]

RS: Not really in light of the recent ICE activity. I do think that the immigration laws certainly need some reform, however ICE raids and sowing fear-based questionable tactics are not the change I would seek. The aggressive and misguided ICE enforcement and the removal of people from their families without due process, especially people who are living and working in the U.S. to make a better life for themselves only to be made to make entire communities feel widespread fear and eroding the trust in our government is the opposite of what ICE was originally intended for and what it should be doing.

GL: Given that evidence and arguments were and are still surfacing, why was “Hold the murderer accountable” included in the vigil flyer? [For AFP]: In your Instagram post, why did you write “No law enforcement agency has the right to murder innocent citizens! We demand justice for Renee Nicole Good!”

IGJ: We vociferously stand by the right to due process and demand a full impartial investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good by Jonathan Ross. Unfortunately, ICE has a long history of evading accountabilty for the lives lost under their watch and we expect that the video evidence and first hand reports will have to suffice in the long run. Local Minnesota law enforcement has been denied access to the evidence in the deadly Minneapolis ICE shooting, preventing them from conducting their own investigation, and several federal prosecutors have resigned in protest after the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to pursue an independent inquiry into the case. A lack of independent investigation or accountability is the status quo for ICE violence. [This link and this link were included in the response]

AFP: The majority of the people I know have looked at this from multiple angles. We’ve listened to experts on the subject about the videos they’ve seen. The only time I’ve seen a video posted that shows a car that might be hitting a person was from a Republican conspiracy-theorist as opposed to a news outlet.

Hearing from her spouse who was standing right there, I don’t know what else they’re going to find. There’s a protocol for those in law enforcement for shooting at a car and none of those protocols were followed. People will choose to believe what they want to believe. She didn’t have a weapon and her wheels were turned away. The fact that her last words were I’m not mad at you sure seems like she was trying to de-escalate the situation.

RS: As an attorney, I am trained to avoid a rush to judgment in any case. However, I believe the point of the vigil’s flyer was to make an unequivocal statement that “no one is above the law” in reaction to efforts to block any investigations and claim immunity for the ICE agents. ICE is not above the law. Anyone that is using deadly force needs to be held to the highest standards and held accountable for their actions. In any case where a person has been harmed by the actions of ICE, whether in the streets or in their detention centers, should be looked into and investigated. That’s how we’re supposed to do things here in America. That’s due process and accountability.

GL: Anything else you want to say:

IGJ: We believe that there is a direct line between corruption in our government and an ineffective and inhumane immigration system. GEO group, the private prison corporation that owns many government-contracted ICE facilities across the country, had profits in 2025 that allowed them to return 500 million to shareholders through stock buybacks. These record profits were possible due to notoriously inhumane conditions including inadequate food and medical care, forced labor and lack of oversight. The Trump administration set these policies while several members of the same administration are former lobbyists for the GEO group. These policies are not making us safer, they are making the wealthy more rich while undermining our international reputation. The more the American public points fingers at each other instead of those in power the more they will continue to exploit us. It’s time for us to stand up together.

We want the public to know that the Indivisible movement is non-partisan, non-violent, and holds open arms to anyone who thinks that our government is not serving the public as a whole. We encourage anyone to join our ranks who’s willing to help us hold the representatives of both parties accountable who aren’t serving the public interest. We have members across the political spectrum and we’ll continue to welcome them until we get a system that represents all of us.

RS: I don’t consider myself to be an irrational person, I see facts, I see what is happening in our country that I love and believe in and what I am seeing is not ok.  It’s not normal. There is a place for immigration officers and rules, there is not a place for the human rights violations that we are seeing right now happening day after day. I was elected by the people to uphold the values of this commonwealth and this country and I will never apologize for standing by my morals as a human being as well.  No elected official should be where they are if they do not stand up for the most vulnerable. I am not only angry, I am sad to see where we’ve come to at this point and I can only hope that we can work our way back to something better.

Our take:

We appreciate everyone’s willingness to share their thoughts with us as well as everyone’s right to public displays of free speech. Glenside Local published the vigil and the protest flyers on January 9. The Facebook post received 300+ comments as the incident caught a mountain of ongoing national attention.

Van Jones, a regular CNN political commentator, published a Substack on January 17 titled “America Isn’t Divided on ICE – It’s Divided on REALITY.” Quillette author Mick West wrote on January 10 that “The same fragments of footage were treated as decisive proof of mutually exclusive conclusions.” Abington for Peace seemed to agree with this line of thinking when they told us, “To some degree, those of us that are super MAGA or super left leaning, we only see the things we want to see.”

On our page, responses from the loyal opposition include:

• “Never knew that the glenside local was anti-American garbage news. Going to pass that info around”
• “Saw the video of her literally driving into the officer.”
• “Why are we holding a vigil for someone who 1) hit an ice agent(his body cam footage is posted with the proof) and 2) let their wife abuse her kids and didn’t have custody of 2 of them and was about to lose custody of the one she had because her own parents were filing for custody”
• “She was attempting to stop Ice from arresting a sexual predator. Democrats are total scumbags.”
• “Got what she deserved. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
• “Didn’t see this type of support for the poor girl who was killed by an illegal immigrant…”

Abington Rockledge Democrats’ Facebook page posted the following with red marker and the caption “comments winner of the day.”:

As we learned in the fall, and as Lochel’s Bakery in Hatboro learned over the winter, provocative speech seems to beget more provocative speech. On the plus side, there have been no calls for (or incidents involving) violence that we know of, and that is a credit to leadership.

We asked Representative Sanchez, “In your view, what does extremism look like on the right and what does it look like on the left?”

His response:

The horseshoe effect is real. Unfortunately, the main issue causing the divide between the polarized sides is the inability to come to the table and have rational discussions and debate about issues upon which they may not agree and still have a willingness to compromise for the greater good. All or nothing is not a path that moves everyone forward. Instead, we so often see a dogmatic following of rhetoric instead of coming to a decision based on what is right and just.

This is what he’s referring to:

Readers can decide for themselves the degree to which that theory applies to the narratives above.

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Photos: IGJ, AFP