Nationwide — As protests intensify nationwide over recent fatal shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the family of Keith Porter Jr. is again demanding justice. Porter, a 43-year-old African American father of two, was killed on New Year’s Eve in Northridge, California, by an off-duty ICE agent, and his death has resurfaced in public discussion amid outrage over a separate ICE-related killing in Minneapolis.
According to Fox 11, the Los Angeles Police Department says that Porter was shot shortly after 10:30 p.m. on December 31 at an apartment complex where both he and the off-duty agent lived. Police claim Porter had been firing celebratory shots into the air with an AR-15-style rifle. The agent reportedly heard the gunfire, confronted Porter, and later opened fire. Authorities have not released clear details explaining what occurred in the moments leading up to the fatal shooting.
Federal officials defended the agent’s actions, stating that he believed he was responding to an active shooter situation and that an exchange of gunfire occurred. Porter was pronounced dead at the scene. No criminal charges were immediately filed against the agent, a fact that has drawn sharp criticism from Porter’s family and civil rights advocates.
Relatives and community leaders dispute the claim that Porter posed a threat. They describe him as a devoted father and a positive presence in his community. At a Los Angeles City Council meeting, Porter’s mother, Franceola Armstrong, spoke emotionally about her son, calling him a man with a kind spirit and a big heart. Family members are now calling for an independent investigation into the shooting.
Activists echoed those demands, pointing to broader concerns about accountability in law enforcement shootings. Representatives from local civil rights groups criticized the lack of immediate disciplinary or criminal action, arguing that such cases reflect a troubling pattern of excessive force and insufficient oversight. A candlelight vigil honoring Porter was held in Northridge, with another planned in Carson Park alongside community leaders.
Public attention around Porter’s death has grown following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, who was killed by an ICE agent during an immigration operation. Federal officials have claimed self-defense in that case, while local leaders sharply rejected that narrative, fueling protests across multiple cities. Together, the two incidents have intensified scrutiny of ICE operations and renewed calls for transparency, accountability, and justice for the families affected.