The shots fired by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer that killed a Minnesota woman last week have echoed through Whitefish.  

The advocacy group Flathead Democracy organizes vigils at the Whitefish Customs and Border Patrol office on U.S. 93 West every Sunday at 6 p.m.  

Last Sunday’s vigil was dedicated to Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother who was shot and killed in Minneapolis. The shooting set off demonstrations in Minneapolis, along with protests and vigils in other communities across the U.S. 

The Trump administration has defended the ICE agent’s use of lethal force, saying Good presented a threat with her vehicle. 

Flathead Democracy organizer Leanette Galaz described the circumstances of Good’s shooting as concerning.  

“Because she was not a target of their work,” Galaz said. “She was trying to raise awareness of ICE activity in her community. Which is something we do here in our community in Northwest Montana.” 

Galaz is among three people charged for allegedly blocking a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle in Whitefish last year. All three pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor counts of negligent endangerment and public nuisance in November. 

Galaz said Flathead Democracy does not agree with the federal government’s immigration enforcement tactics. 

“People are sitting in detention centers, which are unsanitary, unsafe and unhealthy... people for months don’t get to see the sky, without lawyers,” she claimed. “And that’s all on the taxpayer’s dime.”  

In addition to Sunday vigils, Flathead Democracy is organizing events across the valley on Jan. 20.