Hundreds protest ICE and federal shootings at Plano intersection

Hundreds of protesters braved frigid weather Saturday at the corner of Preston and Parker in Plano to voice opposition to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and recent federal shootings that have sparked nationwide demonstrations.

Organizers initially planned a No Kings demonstration, Collin County Democratic Party Chair Jeremy Sutka said, but added a focus on ICE following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month. More than 250 people signed up for the event, Sutka said, and hundreds huddled in jackets and scarves at the busy intersection, waving U.S. flags and shouting as cars honked in support. Signs read “ICE out,” “Abolish ICE” and “We have no king.” Some protesters wore inflatable costumes — a unicorn, a teddy bear and a dinosaur — while a steady drumbeat and blaring horns gave energy to the crowd despite the biting temperature.

The Plano gathering mirrored protests across Texas and the country after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in a snowy Minneapolis neighborhood. Good was shot in the head in front of a family member, and federal officials including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the White House have described the shooting as self-defense. Vice President JD Vance called the shooting justified and described Good as a “victim of left-wing ideology.” Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that “there is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation.” Minnesota officials have raised alarm after federal authorities blocked state investigators from accessing evidence and declared the state lacks jurisdiction to probe the killing.

Locally, the protest drew a broad cross-section of Collin County residents. Young adults, parents with children, and older couples stood together in the cold. Karen Price, 69, of Murphy said she had never protested before but felt compelled to attend. “I support stopping the cruelty,” she said. “I’m tired of reading outrageous things that are said and done, and I’m tired of incompetent people being in charge.” Commenting on Good’s death, Price said, “I think it was murder. It should be investigated instead of blown off and validated.” Michelle Acuavera, 55, stood with her daughter holding homemade anti-ICE signs and said as a nurse she was horrified to see people “brutalized” in America. “Our nation was built on immigrants, and diversity is what makes us great,” she said. “To treat immigrants, undocumented people, as if they shouldn’t belong here, is wrong.”

Sutka said he had not seen any counterprotesters and that the group remained peaceful. The Plano action followed a similar demonstration in Fort Worth last week and is one element of a wider, regional response to the administration’s deportation push and recent federal use of force.

For Collin County residents, the demonstrations signal sustained local engagement on national immigration policy and federal accountability. Expect continued rallies and civic conversations as investigations and jurisdictional disputes play out, and watch for local elected officials to be asked for clearer positions on federal enforcement practices and oversight.