Tragedy Sparks Nationwide Surge in ICE Observation Groups

Following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis, nearly 80,000 people joined a Monday online ICE observer training and about 200,000 more watched the recording on YouTube within 24 hours, fueling a nationwide rise in citizen groups documenting federal enforcement. Organizers say observers deter detentions and push accountability, even as officials cast monitoring in a negative light and the DOJ announced it would investigate Pretti’s death. Activists across the country are expanding safety measures, anonymizing communications, and coordinating with legal aid networks to support communities under ICE activity, signaling a broader, risk-aware push to document and resist enforcement practices.