The killing of unarmed Minnesota woman Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis this January has sparked nationwide alarm and protests, intensifying concerns about the growing risk of political and state violence in the United States. The incident came amid a year marked by high-profile political assassinations, increasing death threats against elected officials and community leaders, expanded federal deployments within the country, and state actions targeting entire communities, particularly immigrants and refugees. Just one day after Good was killed, federal agents from US Customs and Border Protection shot and injured two people in a vehicle in Portland, Oregon, further deepening public concern.
These developments pose serious risks not only to individuals but also to civil society organizations, social movements, and democratic institutions. In response, communities across the country have partnered with elected officials to demand independent and transparent investigations while organizing peaceful mobilizations. Many local groups are also developing new strategies to de-escalate tensions, reduce violence, and strengthen community resilience in the face of threats from both state and nonstate actors.
Recent participatory research by the Bridging Divides Initiative (BDI) at Princeton University highlights how community safety and de-escalation networks are rapidly evolving. According to practitioners, demand for training and support has steadily increased over the past decade. In cities and towns nationwide, local leaders and residents are forming broad coalitions aimed at protecting communities and building long-term resilience. Drawing on BDI’s research and the decades-long organizing experience of the Western States Center, experts are now mapping the current risk environment and identifying effective strategies for de-escalation, civil resistance, and community safety.
In a recent analysis, Daniel Altschuler of the Freedom Together Foundation and political scientist Javier Corrales of Amherst College warned that communities must be trained not only to organize but also to practice strategic nonviolence. They stressed the importance of maintaining discipline in the face of provocation while continuing to bear witness and take action against abuses of power.
Political violence in the United States has deep historical roots. Following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, historian Arthur M. Schlesinger observed that violence and hatred are embedded in the nation’s past rather than temporary aberrations. While the forms and intensity of violence have changed over time, communities have continually adapted, developing responses to protect themselves. As threats increasingly come from both state and nonstate actors, spreading knowledge of de-escalation and nonviolent resistance has become essential.
Communities facing heightened risks from ICE, CBP, and other federal authorities are expanding safety and de-escalation efforts in both scope and sophistication. Some initiatives are spontaneous, such as residents informally tracking ICE activity, while others are carefully planned and led by trained professionals. Certain efforts focus on immediate, in-the-moment de-escalation techniques, while others prioritize long-term preparedness, resilience, and infrastructure building. The growing diversity of approaches reflects a recognition that state violence now affects entire communities and can disrupt essential services such as education, healthcare, elections, and local economies.
At the same time, community safety work often creates opportunities to bridge ideological divides through dialogue and trust building. Practitioners must balance outreach with firm commitments to principles such as antiracism, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Ensuring the safety of volunteers and organizers has also become a pressing concern, as many report fear of retaliation or hostility. While no strategy can eliminate all risk, communities are adopting measures such as legal preparedness, secure communication channels, confidential meeting spaces, and emergency protocols to better protect those involved.
Advances in real-time monitoring and rapid response systems, often using encrypted messaging platforms, have strengthened community efforts to track and respond to incidents of state violence. Local initiatives have also benefited from increased coordination across regions, supported by national and regional organizations that share resources, training, and best practices.
Throughout 2025, as federal agents and National Guard troops were deployed in cities including Portland, Chicago, Washington, DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, communities have learned critical lessons about responding to state violence. Broad coalitions have proven essential, countering attempts to isolate and marginalize specific groups by affirming that violence against any community threatens democracy as a whole. Leaders in multiple states have joined with businesses, faith groups, and civil society organizations to oppose militarized policing and federal overreach.
Communities have also learned that public concern must be matched with clear avenues for participation. As violence becomes more visible, more people ask how they can help, underscoring the need for accessible training and organized opportunities for nonviolent engagement. Local officials play a crucial role as well, with their actions—or silence—sending powerful signals to the public. In several cases, swift and unified responses from elected leaders have helped reject calls for unnecessary federal deployments.
Recent events have demonstrated that anyone can be affected. US citizens have been detained by immigration authorities, long-standing protections for sensitive locations such as churches and schools have been rolled back, and enforcement actions have expanded even against individuals without criminal records. These realities have pushed institutions across sectors to invest in training and preparedness. At the same time, state violence has fueled risks of nonstate violence, as extremist actors and bad-faith individuals exploit federal operations to intimidate or provoke communities.
Effective messaging has emerged as another key lesson. Campaigns that emphasize shared values, humanity, and even humor or political theater have successfully countered narratives of chaos and fear. By centering impacted communities and reinforcing common ground, organizers have been able to condemn violence while continuing to call for accountability and restraint.
Community safety practitioners emphasize that sustaining this work requires broader coalitions, clearer public communication from law enforcement and government agencies, and increased funding to prevent burnout and expand capacity. Despite the long history of political violence in the United States, there is an equally long tradition of nonviolent organizing for dignity and justice. As more people learn de-escalation strategies and come together to protect their communities, many see reason for hope that the country can move toward a safer and more democratic future.
