New Ice Victim Kaden Rummler Now Permanently Blind After Ice Agents Shot Him in the Face Amidst Renee Good Protest

A 21-year-old anti-ICE protester has been left permanently blind in his left eye after a federal agent fired a less-lethal projectile into his face from close range during a demonstration in Santa Ana, California. Kaden Rummler, a college student, underwent six hours of surgery to remove shards of plastic, glass and metal embedded in his eyes and face, with one piece lodged just 7 millimetres from his carotid artery.

The incident took place on Friday amid growing protests across the US sparked by the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last week.

The Incident in Santa Ana

Cellphone video captures Rummler shouting through a megaphone at Civic Center Plaza with other demonstrators when the situation escalated. Witnesses and family assert that Department of Homeland Security agents pushed forward, firing projectiles despite the group's claims of peacefulness.

Rummler's aunt, Jeri Rees, detailed the medical aftermath to journalists. 'He underwent six hours of surgery and that doctors found shards of plastic, glass and metal embedded in his eyes and around his face,' she said. The family has conveyed strong indignation, stressing Rummler's legitimate participation in the protest. The gathering, intended to challenge ICE's detention approaches, swiftly became disordered as agents allegedly unleashed rubber bullets without discrimination.

A protester recalled that agents 'just started opening fire on us, spraying an obscene amount of rubber bullets everywhere.'

Rummler maintained he was not acting violently at the moment of the shot. He later described seeing his own blood flowing from the wound. Incidents involving less-lethal munitions have repeatedly resulted in grave injuries during protests, fuelling debates on their deployment.

Background to the Renee Good Shooting

The Santa Ana occurrence is another incident like the death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in Minneapolis. Freshly published footage illustrates Good calmly engaging with ICE agents in an operation prior to being shot dead. The shooting last Wednesday prompted swift condemnation and rallies throughout the nation.

In Arkansas, over 200 individuals convened at the Broadway Bridge to denounce ICE's conduct. Activists maintain that Good's death reveals entrenched issues in immigration enforcement, notably the overuse of force on at-risk populations.

The demonstrations have extended to several locations, with the Santa Ana assembly at Civic Center Plaza calling for justice in Good's case and the termination of ICE detention sites.

Journalist Veronica De La Cruz's Instagram post underscored Rummler's situation, observing that less-lethal weapons can inflict devastating, lifelong harm when discharged nearby. Court documents also disclose that the ICE officer responsible for Good's shooting experienced a dragging incident by a vehicle in 2025 during an arrest. This background has bolstered arguments of ongoing aggression within the organisation, linking current events to prior controversies.

Calls for Accountability

Advocacy organisations are pushing for a comprehensive probe into the Santa Ana shooting to promote openness in federal policing. The American Civil Liberties Union has consistently denounced less-lethal rounds in managing crowds, referencing various examples of lasting blindness and other impairments.

Rummler's relatives are assessing legal proceedings against the Department of Homeland Security for redress and modifications in procedure. Hardly a surprise, considering the established pattern of these arms leading to serious damage. Such episodes stress the necessity for revised strategies in dealing with public protests and safeguarding freedoms.

As of 14 January 2026, the Department of Homeland Security has offered no formal remark on the Rummler matter, yet internal examinations are apparently ongoing. The anti-ICE protester blinded episode has escalated conversations about the moral aspects of less-lethal armaments in enforcement activities. Demonstrators affirm their commitment to ongoing advocacy against supposed inequities in American immigration systems.