Renee Nicole Good, others memorialized during Highland Park vigil

The cold weather couldn’t keep more than 100 Highland Park-area residents away from a candlelight
vigil Saturday night, honoring those who federal immigration agents have killed, wounded or taken into custody.

Rachel Jacoby, a Highwood resident and Moraine Township trustee, organized the vigil at Port Clinton Square in Highland Park following the death of Renee Nicole Good, whom an ICE agent shot and killed on Wednesday, Jan. 7, in Minneapolis.

Community members of all ages — some holding signs and candles — stood in silence as speakers
honored and recognized the lives of Good and others killed during ongoing federal immigration operations over the past several months.

“We gather tonight with heavy hearts to grieve and mourn those whose lives were taken by a system
that too often treats human beings as disposable,” Jacoby said. “Tonight, we say their names to honor
their memories: Renee Good, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, Keith Porter.”

Agents shot and killed Gonzalez last September during a traffic stop in suburban Franklin Park and Porter in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve.

The vigil Saturday included a memorial song for Good, performed by members of the Chicago Native
American community, representatives from religious institutions, and community members.

Some speakers shared their personal stories, including Carmen Patlan, executive director of the Center
for Immigrant Progress and an immigrant herself.

“Like so many others, my family came seeking stability, dignity, and the chance to build a life,” she said.
“And yet today, many of us, one again, are living in fear and uncertainty in this very country we believed
would protect us.”

She said the organization she leads has a rapid-response team that often shows up when ICE arrives to
take people away. Patlan said she’s seen firsthand the pain their actions have caused families, and
often, all she can do is take out her phone to record the interaction.

“This is not law enforcement,” Patlan said, calling many ICE arrests “kidnappings.” “… We cannot stand idle while history repeats itself. Families do not leave their country by choice. They leave because their lives depend on it. I know this not just as an advocate, but as a lived experience.”

Bertha Chavez, with Fenix Family Health Center, spoke in Spanish about the positive impact immigrants
have within communities across America. Her words were translated into English by an interpreter.

“They’re part of our country, and they’re the future of this great nation,” Chavez said via her interpreter. “Many have lived in our communities for years, contributing to the economy every day. I’m sad to see their families separated.”

The Rev. Quincy Worthington, with Highland Park Presbyterian Church, said it’s important to repeat the
names of those who have been killed.

“We say their names because names matter,” he said. “We say them because every human life is
precious — every human life, without qualification. Not some lives, not legal lives, not lives that are easy
to defend. Every life bears dignity and every death is a wound that should never be ignored.”

Worthington also said that grief is not weakness, calling it “love refusing to be silenced.”

“And today, our grief tells us the truth that we cannot ignore: These deaths are not accidents,” he said. “They aren’t isolated. They’re the predictable fruit of a system that has grown comfortable with cruelty and the absence of accountability.”

Rabbi Ike Serotta, with Makom Solel Lakeside in Highland Park, helped light the candles.

Serotta said it’s a Jewish tradition to end the Sabbath by the lighting a braided candle, with many wicks
united into one flame.

“Each one of us is a single wick, but braided together, our light is magnified and we will work together to
make a difference,” he said. “All humans are woven together into a garment of light, and we can bring
hope, love and light in the fight against darkness.”

Other speakers, including both Patlan and Claire Dietz, with Mano a Mano Family Resource Center,
encouraged those in attendance to take action.

Dietz encouraged joining local rapid response teams, mutual aid efforts, and connecting with
organizations that are working to help immigrants.

“There’s a place for everyone, and let us help you find yours,” she said.

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