Nearly 400 Yakima County citizens gathered on a chilly night in downtown Yakima on January 10th to oppose the brutal behavior of ICE agents across the nation. They held candles in memory of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot to death by ICE agents in Minneapolis January 7th.
Yakima Indivisible pulled this event together quickly with amazing collaboration from the Yakima Immigrant Response Network (YIRN) and Between the Ridges. YIRN and Yakima Indivisible volunteers read the names and home countries of the 32 other people killed by ICE nationwide in 2025.
Members of YIRN also shared the names and stories of local community members seized by ICE. YIRN has helped the families of 44 people seized in our area in just the past few months. A former Yakima County Superior Court Judge told the story of a local war hero and legal immigrant who was treated unjustly just because of the color of his skin.
The candlelight vigil closed with a moving prayer from Reverend Robert Trimble and music from Ysenia Hunter and her husband. We are grateful for help from the city of Yakima making it possible to close the street for this event. Thanks also to Martha Ramirez, who somehow found a vendor to provide coffee and pastries to those who gathered on very short notice!
