On Jan. 10 at noon, Burg Resist, a local organization partnered with the Johnson County Democratic Party, organized a protest against the recent death of Renee Nicole Good and to express a general displeasure with the recent policies and actions of the Trump administration. The protest took place on the Johnson County courthouse lawn and approx. 200 people participated.
“I think we have about 200 people here today, and that 200 people are on 40 hours notice … And it tells you that people are hungry to get out and resist this stuff. I think they’ve just been itching to do it,” said Steve Ciafullo, founder of Burg Resist.
On Jan. 7, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, later identified as Jonathon Ross, shot 37-year-old Good in her vehicle in Minneapolis. On Jan. 8, during a press briefing at the White House, Vice President JD Vance defended the actions of the ICE agent, claiming that he is protected under the law as he is a federal agent.
“The precedent here is very simple. You have a federal law enforcement official engaging in federal law enforcement action – that’s a federal issue. That guy is protected by absolute immunity. He was doing his job,” said Vance, according to CNN.
Good’s death and the response from the Trump administration have subsequently sparked outrage and protests across the nation, including within Warrensburg.
“The video seemed very clear-cut,” said sophomore Kale Fondy, who attended the Warrensburg protest. “She very clearly was trying to drive away from the scene, whether or not she did hit him, like a lot of people are saying, it’s still no excuse to be using lethal force like that. The job of the police should be to de-escalate the situation.”
Burg Resist, a local organization that aims to educate and organize Warrensburg citizens towards political action, began when Ciafullo performed a solo protest at the Johnson County Courthouse in February 2025. The numbers grew over time, leading to the formation of a unified organization. Ciafullo hopes to use protests to enable people to voice their displeasure with the administration.
“I hope it gets them to realize that silence is compliance. If you can sit there and let this go by, it raises questions about what kind of person you are. What does it take for these people to hit rock bottom, for you to push back? How low can we go? Because we are low,” said Ciafullo.
Websites designed to report ICE activity, such as iceout.org, have reported sightings in Kansas City. In the possibility of ICE moving further into Missouri, including Warrensburg, Raymond James, Chair of the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee, has advised locals to resist the presence of ICE peacefully to reduce further casualties.
“I would advise that when you’re seeing ICE arresting or detaining someone, make sure that you stand back, that you stay clear, film, make ICE aware that you’re filming them, but that you’re not going to interfere. You can ask the person being detained what their name is, so that you can at least try to let the family know who they are, where they went to,” said James.
