Black and Latino organizers in L.A. demand justice for Keith Porter–the Black man shot by an off-duty ICE officer on New Year's Eve

43-year-old Keith Porter was celebrating New Year's Eve in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, when he was approached by an unidentified man with a gun. 

The exact details of what occurred remain unclear as the investigation continues to unfold. There is currently no recorded footage available to the public, but neighbors and witnesses state that Porter was not aiming at anyone or posing a threat. Instead, they say he was celebrating the New Year by firing the gun into the air, a tradition considered common throughout certain parts of Los Angeles

The off-duty ICE agent, who lived in the same complex, confronted Porter with a gun of his own. Shots were exchanged, ultimately leading to the death of the father of two. Porter’s family is now demanding answers in an event that they believe should not have happened.

In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that the individual who killed Porter heard gunshots outside of his apartment. She stated that he “took his ICE-authorized firearm and left his apartment to investigate." However, McLaughlin contested the witness’s version of events, alleging that the agent identified himself and claimed Porter pointed a rifle at him. The agent opened fire, killing Porter at the scene. He later called the LAPD.

During a Los Angeles City Council meeting on January 7, Porter’s mother, Franceola Armstrong, spoke through tears: “Justice for my baby, he did not deserve this, please.” 

The emotional testimony gave a glimpse into Porter’s character and life. “He would never hurt anybody, he loved so hard –he worked with animals and disabled children–he was such a joy, his heart was so big,” Armstrong stated.

 Porter’s death occurred just days before Minnesota woman Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent while legally observing on-duty ICE officers. The public response to the two deaths has been markedly different, with Good’s killing prompting nationwide protests and public statements from elected officials. Many have noted the stark juxtaposition in how these cases have been received, raising concerns about how race, visibility and perceived legitimacy influence which victims receive widespread public outrage and institutional acknowledgment, and which deaths pass with comparatively little collective response.

Locally, organizations like Black Lives Matter Grassroots, have rallied around Porter’s family as they demand answers and justice. Melina Abdullah, a professor and organizer of the local BLM chapter, spoke with CALÓ News about the public response to Porter’s death. 

“[Renee Good] is absolutely deserving of that rage and of that mourning and so is Keith Porter,” said Abdullah. She shared that although there had been some recent coverage of Porter’s death, it pales in comparison to the outrage that Good received in the days following her shooting, especially from elected officials. 

“If you look at the early stories, LAPD and politicians hailed [Porter’s] murderer as a hero–it's really disgusting,” Abdullah said. “It really speaks to the ongoing racism and the devaluation of Black life.”

Local immigrant rights organizers have also brought attention to the limited coverage around Porter’s situation, highlighting the impact state-sanctioned violence has had on Black and Latino communities throughout Los Angeles. 

Gabriel Quiroz, an organizer with Centro CSO, spoke at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights last Thursday. “Here in Los Angeles, specifically Northridge, a Black man named Keth Porter was shot and killed by an ICE agent on New Year's Eve, shame!”  Quiroz went on to demand a thorough and independent investigation and that the off-duty agent who killed Porter be prosecuted and imprisoned.

On January 7, the same day Renee Good was killed, the Los Angeles Rapid Response Network (LARRN) also called for an investigation into Porter’s death. 

“Just one week ago, over the New Year’s Eve celebrations, an off-duty ICE agent shot and killed Keith Porter in Northridge, bringing the total number of incidents resulting in death or injury to an Angeleno to nearly a dozen,” a statement from LARRN said. “These incidents should be thoroughly investigated, and ICE and the agents responsible must be held accountable and taken off our streets. The terrorizing and violent tactics of this rogue agency must end.”

Porter’s death points to a broader pattern of concern: a growing number of cases in which off-duty federal officers have been accused of acting beyond the scope of their authority. In November,  LA TACO reporter Lexis-Olivier Ray reported on the arrest of an off-duty federal agent in Riverside County who was accused of assault after detaining a 17-year-old at gunpoint. Earlier this year, an off-duty U.S. Border Patrol officer was charged with assaulting a Long Beach police officer and resisting arrest following an altercation in the Shoreline Village parking lot on July 7.

These incidents are not isolated, but rather reflect a climate in which federal law enforcement officers face limited accountability for misconduct. The Trump administration’s policies and rhetoric have emboldened some agents, both on- and off-duty, to push legal boundaries, contributing to a troubling erosion of oversight – one which directly resulted in Porter’s death. 

Civil rights advocates have continued to call for accountability for the individual who fatally shot Porter, who has not yet been publicly identified. In the meantime, friends and family have sought to honor Porter’s life by sharing memories of the person he was beyond the circumstances of his death.

In a video posted on social media by Adrian Metoyer, Porter spoke highly of his children and his faith, referring to himself as “godly.” The interview, which was filmed prior to his death, shows Porter in an L.A. Dodgers hat and jersey, sharing musings about his life,  “I got two beautiful young girls and I am going to raise them the way that I’m supposed to–at the end of the day, that’s all I really got, but I feel rich though…I know there’s a whole lot of people that love me out here.”