By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
Protestors across the country gathered to condemn the actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Jan. 20, marking one year since the 47th president took office and issued a number of anti-immigration executive orders. The demonstrations were part of a nationwide “Free America Walkout,” spearheaded by Women’s March and supported by 50501and Color of Change, that urged people to leave schools, workplaces and businesses in a show of opposition.
Credit: AFRO Photo / Megan Sayles
In Baltimore, residents and local social justice organizations assembled at the corner of Eastern and Linwood Avenues in Patterson Park.
“Dissent without action is just hollow words. We must actively work to inhibit ICE. They will kill us. They killed Renee Good. They killed Keith Porter Jr. They will kill again,” said Arjun Janakan, organizer with Baltimore Democratic Socialists of America. “I say the fight against ICE must be escalated. I want to know everything about these masked men coming into our city. I want to know where they sleep, where they eat and every move they make. I want to confront them every step of the way. I want to make the job of being an ICE agency in Baltimore impossible.”
Though the protests were sparked by the Jan. 7 death of Renee Good , prior to her brutal killing, Keith Porter Jr., a Black man, was shot and killed by ICE agents on Dec. 31 just before the new year struck.
Porter, a 43-year-old father of two, was shot by an off-duty ICE agent outside of his apartment in Northridge, Calif. On that day, Porter’s family said he was ringing in the New Year by firing celebratory gunshots into the air. The ICE officer, however, believed that Porter posed a threat and went outside to confront him.
Porter’s cousin, Jsané Tyler, spoke on his killing during a Jan. 15 meeting hosted by Black Lives Matter Grassroots.
“Instead of that gentleman disengaging completely if he really thought that my cousin was a threat, he decided to go back into his home, put on full tactical gear, grab his service weapon and come outside and shoot my cousin dead,” said Tyler.
She asserted that federal leaders have tried to paint Porter as an active shooter or a domestic terrorist. She, however, described him as an infectiously joyous person who will be missed greatly by his friends, family and co-workers.
“My cousin wasn’t even shooting when the man came back outside, he was turning to go back into his home. He definitely wasn’t a threat at that time,” said Tyler. “Anybody else who would have caught themselves performing this type of cowardly vigilantism would have already been arrested and would be facing charges.”
Porter’s family is asking for the officer to be named, arrested and convicted.
“We also want to make sure that the real story of who Keith was and who he is in our memories doesn’t die,” said Tyler. “We want people to know what they stole from us–two daughters now don’t have a father, a mother no longer has her son who was her best friend and only child.”
Since the 47th president took office, ICE’s enforcement tactics have drawn national scrutiny, with activists, lawmakers and community organizations criticizing the agency for using deadly force with minimal oversight.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that more than 605,000 people have been deported since Jan. 20, 2025, along with an additional 1.9 million people who reportedly left the country voluntarily. ICE data also reveals that at least 30 people died in the agency’s custody in 2025.
Credit: AFRO Photo / Megan Sayles
“People are pissed off. It’s getting to the point where things have become so crazy that it’s forcing people to leave their homes to put feet on the pavement, make their voices heard and figure out how they can be of service,” said Brandon Balmer, a Baltimore protestor.
Syierra DeBow, another protestor, agreed with Balmer. She said people across the country are experiencing a shared sentiment of exasperation and anger.
“It’s not just happening in Baltimore. It’s not just happening in Minneapolis. Everywhere, a lot of people are saying it’s time to stand out and speak out because at this point it’s disgusting and vile,” said Debow. “It’s a lived experience that not only the Hispanic community has experienced but the Black community too. Other marginalized communities have experienced oppression in these ways. It’s a systemic issue that needs to be addressed.”
