In Memoriam, Renee Good and Championing Community Latino Representation with Sonia Ballinger
- Virginia LULAC
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Pictured Above: Loudoun County immigration accountability gathering — Sonia Ballinger speaking, joined by Virginia LULAC members Oriella Mejía and Andy Perez in support.
In Memoriam, Virginia LULAC mourns the tragic loss of Renee Nicole Good, a mother, poet, musician, and community member whose life was cut short during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minneapolis. Renee’s death has sent shockwaves across the nation and has become a painful symbol of what happens when enforcement operates without adequate oversight, accountability, or regard for human life.
Renee Nicole Good was a prize-winning poet, a hobby guitarist, and—above all—a devoted mother to two teenage children. Friends and family describe her as a person of faith, a Christian who once traveled to Northern Ireland on youth missions, and someone deeply rooted in compassion rather than confrontation. City leaders stated that she was present as a legal observer of ICE activity when she was fatally shot on January 7.
Despite claims by the Trump administration that she posed a threat, a New York Times analysis of video footage found that Renee was turning her vehicle away from the ICE agent and attempting to leave the scene. Yet she was killed. Federal officials have since attempted to justify her death using language that has alarmed civil rights advocates nationwide. (The New York Times, Videos contradict Trump administration account of ice shooting in Minneapolis - The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/video/us/100000010631041/minneapolis-ice-shooting-video.html)
Renee Good’s killing is not an isolated incident, it is part of a broader pattern of federal overreach that places everyday Americans at risk. When dissent, observation, or peaceful monitoring is met with lethal force, democracy itself is endangered.
“Enough Is Enough”: Loudoun County Speaks Out
On January 11, more than 200 people gathered in Leesburg to honor Renee’s life and demand accountability. Leesburg Mayor Kelly Burk spoke powerfully, reminding the crowd that violence against protesters is intolerable and warning of the dangers of silencing criticism through intimidation and gunfire.
She compared Renee’s killing to the Kent State University massacre, underscoring the historical weight of what it means when a government turns weapons on those exercising civic conscience.
Virginia State Senator Russet Perry was unequivocal in her assessment, stating that the shooting was not a justifiable use of force. After reviewing countless use-of-force cases in her career, she described Renee’s death plainly: “That is murder.”
Lifting a Virginia LULAC Voice: Sonia Ballinger
In Loudoun County, one of our own Virginia LULAC members has emerged as a clear, unwavering voice for justice.
Sonia Ballinger—a longtime Loudoun resident, community advocate, and LULAC member—has long worked to ensure that Latinos are seen, heard, and represented. Her message is simple and powerful: Latinos live here too.
At the Leesburg vigil, Ballinger spoke to a reality many Hispanic residents are experiencing today, fear. Fear rooted not only in immigration enforcement, but in racial profiling, over-policing, and the erosion of due process.
“People that look like and sound like me are being arrested, deported, and even killed without probable cause or due process,” Ballinger said. “This will continue to happen until we, the people, say Enough is Enough-BASTA.”
She called for the termination of Loudoun County’s 287(g) agreement, which allows local law enforcement to collaborate with ICE by holding individuals beyond their release dates. Since its implementation, ICE detainers and jail pickups have sharply increased—deepening fear in Latino communities, regardless of citizenship status.
“This is not the Loudoun County I know,” Ballinger said. “This is not the America we believe in.”
Why This Matters to Virginia LULAC:
Virginia LULAC exists to protect civil rights, defend due process, and uplift communities that are too often marginalized or silenced. Renee Nicole Good’s death is a stark reminder that unchecked power harms everyone—not just immigrants, not just activists, but families, mothers, and everyday Americans.
By lifting leaders voices like Sonia Ballinger, we reaffirm our commitment to visibility, accountability, and democratic values. We honor Renee Good not only in memory, but through action by standing up, speaking out, and demanding a system that values human life over unchecked enforcement.
We will continue to fight.We will continue to organize.And we will continue to say, together— enough is enough.
Check out the news article highlighting Sonia Ballinger here: Crowd turns out for Leesburg Vigil for slain Minneapolis woman. Loudoun Times-Mirror. https://www.loudountimes.com/news/public_safety/crime_and_courts/crowd-turns-out-for-leesburg-vigil-for-slain-minneapolis-woman/article_d9eeef4a-e594-4a64-939e-ef6084535575.html
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About Virginia LULAC
Virginia LULAC is the state chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights advocacy organization. Our mission is to advance the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, housing, and civil rights of Hispanic Americans in the Commonwealth of Virginia and beyond.
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