When Fear Comes Home: Why Local Care Matters After Minneapolis

Jan 15

The killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, during a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis was devastating.

At nearly 1,200 events across all 50 states and DC, Americans honored Renee Nicole Good and mourned all the lives ICE has taken and destroyed. #ICEOutForGood

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— Indivisible ❌👑 (@indivisible.org) January 12, 2026 at 8:16 PM

In the days that followed, people across the country showed up for the ICE Out for Good Weekend of Action — gathering in grief, solidarity, and resolve. These actions mattered. They honored a life. They made visible a demand for dignity and accountability. They reminded families that they are not alone.

But moments like this don’t stay contained to the news.

And they don’t end when the rallies do.

Fear Doesn’t Go Away When the News Cycle Moves On

When something like this happens — when violence intersects with immigration enforcement in such a public way — fear spreads fast.

Not just in Minneapolis. Everywhere.

For immigrant families, especially those already living with uncertainty, moments like this confirm their worst fears: that systems meant to govern can also harm, and that safety is fragile.

Here in Virginia, that fear has been palpable for more than a year.

It shows up quietly and quickly:

Parents stop driving.
Workers hesitate to go to their jobs.
Kids miss school.
Medical appointments get postponed.
Rent, utilities, and phone bills fall behind.
Families pull back, unsure who they can trust.

Not because families have done anything wrong — but because fear makes everyday life impossible.

What Families Need in Moments Like This

When fear takes hold, families don’t need a press conference or a hotline number.

They need someone to answer the phone.

They need groceries.
They need help keeping the lights on.
They need a working phone so their kids can stay connected to school.
They need someone to sit beside them in a school meeting or a courtroom.
They need to know that someone in their community sees them and will show up.

That kind of support doesn’t come from far away. It comes from neighbors.

Why Hagamos Vaca Exists

Hagamos Vaca was created for moments like this — not as a reaction to one tragedy, but because fear and instability have been shaping families’ lives long before headlines notice.

We are a community-rooted nonprofit in rural Virginia that steps in when families are in crisis — without bureaucracy, without judgment, and without delay.

When a family reaches out to Hagamos Vaca, they don’t get a form.
They get help.

That help looks like:

Emergency rent and utility support to keep families housed
Groceries and basic necessities
Emergency phone and internet access
Accompaniment to school and court meetings
Support to keep kids learning and connected to community

For more than a year, this work has been carried quietly — often out of pocket — by the founders and a very small group of small-dollar donors. Not because it was easy, but because families needed help immediately.

We are beginning to secure grants and major gifts, which matters for sustainability. But the truth remains simple:

This work only continues when people in our community choose to support their neighbors.

Why Local Care Matters in National Moments

National moments of outrage matter. Public pressure matters. Collective action matters.

But so does the quieter work of care.

Helping a family stay housed.
Making sure a child can keep attending school.
Ensuring a parent can stay connected to work, doctors, and loved ones.
Preventing fear from turning into isolation.

Local care is how communities stay intact when fear threatens to pull them apart.

It is how dignity is practiced, not just demanded.