Cache Valley group holds vigil and protests ICE violence
The killing of American citizen Renee Good by an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officer on Jan. 7 sparked nationwide protests over the following weekend, and Cache Valley was no different. Citizens gathered in front of Cache County Historic Courthouse on Jan. 9 as part of the “ICE Out For Good” movement.
The goals for the event were posted on mobilize.us, a website that allows organizers to promote things like events, petitions and fundraisers. The information for the vigil in honor of Good included the expectation for nonviolent action and no civil disobedience.
The vigil included a table with fresh flowers, real and battery-operated candles and a book for attendees to write messages in, which will be sent to the Indivisible group in Minneapolis.
Indivisible is an organization that describes itself on indivisible.org as “a grassroots movement of thousands of local Indivisible groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild our democracy, and defeat the Trump agenda.”
Susanne Jänecke and her husband Jim Evans helped organize the event. The couple can be found in front of the courthouse almost every Friday evening from 4-5 p.m. for a similar pro-democracy vigil. They are also the owners of a blog, found at wethepeoplecv.org, where they voice their opinions and share information about events.
“We are asking you to take those candles and remember the people who have died from these events with ICE,” Evans said. “We really appreciate everyone who has come out. It’s cold, but it’s colder in Minnesota in many ways.”
Friend of the couple Becka Schultz went on to read a letter on the details of Good’s killing. As outlined in the letter, Good was a 37-year-old wife and mother. The letter also mentioned the names Silverio Villegas González, Chaofeng Ge and other people either killed by ICE or while in ICE custody.
Julie Thuuin, the daughter of two immigrants, was also present at the vigil.
“I think the biggest takeaway of this is if you encounter anyone that you know could be at risk, whether you’re walking down the street or you’re in the grocery store, it is imperative that you let them know you are an ally,” Thuuin said. “This is going to be an omnipresent problem for the foreseeable future, so our responsibility as community members is to connect with them and say, ‘I am here for you.’”
Jänecke said a good way to let the people who may be at risk from ICE know someone is an ally is for Cache Valley to create a symbol. Every day, she wears necklaces covered in pins around her neck, each showing off her beliefs and allyship.
Claudia Soria is an immigrant from Chile. She said when she immigrated to the United States, she was ecstatic, as her Chilean parents told her it was the greatest country in the world. She livestreamed the vigil on her personal social media page to show the Hispanic community there is a community showing up for them.
“What happened in Minnesota, what’s happening all over the U.S., this is not the America I know,” Soria said. “My own children, when I left the house today, said, ‘Don’t get arrested. Don’t get deported.’ Why am I going out in fear? Why do my neighbors have to go out in fear? It’s not fair.”
The vigil ended with information about Our Community Cache Valley, a non-partisan group that “shares concerns, ideas, skills, and resources to support our Cache Valley community and work toward a better future.” Information on events held by the organization can be found at ourcommunitycachevalley.org.
“Sorrow is the loss of the innocent and the loss of innocence. We cry out, and we want to have the intercession of whatever comfort we can find. With the sight of undying justice, we must persevere,” Evans said. “Strengthen us with the sight of what is necessary that we might become a beacon of hope in this current time of darkness.”