Two Protesters Blinded in Santa Ana Clash with Federal Agents

Two protesters lost sight in one eye after federal agents fired crowd-control projectiles at their faces during a demonstration outside a federal building in Santa Ana, California, on January 9. The clash came amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions and the fatal shooting of Renee Good by a federal agent in Minneapolis.

Background

Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Santa Ana that Friday to voice anger over the killing of Renee Good and what they saw as harsh immigration policies under the Trump administration. The day started with an organized march around 3 p.m., put together by the social justice group Dare to Struggle. Protesters carried signs saying 'No more raids, keep families together' and chanted 'ICE out of O.C.' as they moved through the streets.

By evening, a smaller crowd of about 60 stayed outside the federal immigration building. Some shouted through megaphones about ICE. Videos from the scene, filmed by local news groups, show the group on the steps and plaza near the entrance. A few burned an American flag on the steps while calling for justice for Good. Federal agents in riot gear stood guard at the doors, holding crowd-control tools.

Tensions built as the night went on. Protesters threw orange safety cones toward the agents. Firecrackers went off nearby on the sidewalk. Agents came out several times, firing nonlethal rounds to push the crowd back. The Santa Ana Police Department later said they only knew of the cones being tossed, with no reports of bottles or rocks from their side.

Key Details

The main incident happened just after 8:30 p.m. Video shows agents approaching a group near a staircase away from the building entrance. One agent grabbed Skye Jones, a leader with Dare to Struggle's Orange County chapter, to arrest her. Kaden Rummler, 21, and a few others stepped forward, yelling and trying to stop it. Rummler held a loudspeaker at the time.

An agent then fired a crowd-control weapon from a few feet away, hitting Rummler square in the face. He grabbed his face, fell to the ground, and blood poured out. The agent dragged him by the shirt across the pavement into the building. Later footage shows him face down, handcuffed, with paramedics arriving.

Doctors told Rummler he is permanently blind in his left eye. He spoke from the hospital, saying the shot came point-blank while he was not acting violent.

"It’s going to affect every aspect of my life," said Rummler, a college student who wants to work in forestry.

A short time later, another protester, Britain Rodriguez, 31, stood on the steps when agents fired more rounds. One struck him in the face, leaving him blind in one eye too, his family said. Video captures him walking back to the group covered in white powder from the impact, with a cut on his face. Fellow protesters called for a medic as he held his injury.

Federal officials arrested two protesters that night, including Jones and another, charging them with assault on a federal officer and disorderly conduct. A Department of Homeland Security statement called the event a 'highly coordinated campaign of violence' by rioters who threw rocks, bottles, fireworks, and used shields. It said two officers were hurt but gave no details on their injuries.

Accounts from the Scene

Connor Atwood, with Dare to Struggle, was there and said the crowd had thinned out as the protest wound down. He saw agents come out before but not try arrests until then. Protesters stood their ground to show they would not be scared off, he said. Atwood did not see bottles or rocks thrown, only cones and firecrackers away from the entrance.

A use-of-force expert reviewed the video and said he did not see imminent danger to agents that would justify deadly force levels, though less-lethal rounds are meant for lower threats. Local Orange County supervisors who saw earlier parts of the protest said they are upset by the video. They noted federal agents are not sharing details, blocking any local probe.

By 10:30 p.m., agents and Santa Ana police stood outside the building. Paramedics wheeled one injured protester away on a gurney. The crowd had mostly left by then.

What This Means

These injuries mark the latest in clashes between federal agents and protesters over immigration enforcement. Protests have spread since Good's death, with agents in places like Minneapolis using strong crowd-control methods. In Santa Ana, the close-range shots raise questions about when and how agents use these tools.

Rummler's family said he nearly died from the hit but now faces life with one eye. Rodriguez's relatives shared his story too, noting permanent damage. Both men say they posed no threat. Federal spokespeople have not answered questions on protocols for less-lethal weapons or the agents' injuries.

Local leaders push for answers, but feds hold tight on info. Protests like this one highlight divides over ICE raids and police actions. Families of the injured call for change in how crowds are handled. The charges against the arrested protesters stand, with court dates ahead. More demonstrations may follow as anger builds over these events.