Protests spark in Fort Myers following ICE shooting in Minnesota

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

Protests have erupted in Fort Myers and across the country after a mother was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minnesota earlier this week, with local residents advocating for social justice and immigrant rights.

Lucy Garcia, a Fort Myers resident, said, "Mostly to support the fact of social justice if we're going to be arrested. OK, but no. No violence. We're not criminals. We came here to work. We came here to make it happen. We came here to make a better life. And unfortunately, for what we're seeing. We've been hurting. There's a lot of families that have been already divided."

People like Garcia and Nicolas Sanchez are protesting on behalf of those who cannot attend due to fear of being detained.

"I just want my family to be and everybody to be living outside and be able to do what they can't do right now because most of the people are scared right now," said Sanchez.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings have been reported across the Gulf Coast in recent months. For Garcia, the issue is personal, as she is a social worker who witnesses families being divided.

"It hurts my heart to see how when the ICE agents are around here, they're taking them as you see, and you look around, you can see that these are good people. They came here to work. We came here to work. And when they're being thrown to the floor, to the ground, just to take them, like if they're criminals, that's where the heart aches," Garcia said.

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