Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath), a national nonprofit that dramatically improves the lives of people experiencing poverty, is outraged and heartbroken by the fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis yesterday. A 37-year-old mother lost her life in an act that should never occur in a country that claims to value justice, dignity, and human life. We extend our deepest condolences to Renee Nicole Good’s family and loved ones, and we stand in solidarity with the Minneapolis community, and so many others around the country, who are grieving while living in fear.

This horrific tragedy is fundamentally counter to EMPath’s mission. Our work is rooted in the belief that all people deserve the opportunity to improve their lives, provide for their families, and move forward with dignity. Violence, intimidation, and policies that hurt people and destabilize families do the opposite—they push people down when they are already working so hard to rise.

This shooting did not happen in isolation. It comes amid a year marked by decisions and actions that have systematically undermined people striving for stability and economic mobility—particularly people of color, immigrants, women, and families experiencing poverty.

Every day, the federal administration is perpetrating terror and violence against people living in America. Whether taking food out of the mouths of children with illegal SNAP cuts, freezing childcare subsidies so that working parents' livelihoods are threatened, or illegal and inhumane ICE seizures, shootings, and now murder of people in our country.

“Violence—whether through a weapon, an enforcement action, or the dismantling of essential supports—has no place in our society,” said Kim Janey, EMPath President and CEO and former Mayor of Boston. “We believe every person deserves safety, dignity, and the chance to thrive. Public systems should lift people up, not push them further down. This moment demands accountability from leaders and policymakers to end dehumanizing practices, restore and strengthen economic supports, and invest in families and communities rather than punishing them.”

EMPath will continue to stand with those striving to build better lives. We honor the life lost in Minneapolis by recommitting ourselves to a future where opportunity is expanded, not denied—and where lifting people up is a shared national priority, not a slogan.