Nationwide ICE Protests and General Strike Planned for Friday Across US
Walkouts and demonstrations are scheduled to take place across the United States on Friday, with organisers demanding the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota. This coordinated action follows two fatal shootings of US citizens that have sparked significant public outrage and drawn national attention to immigration enforcement tactics.
Widespread Demonstrations Planned
The call for a general strike comes after thousands marched through Minneapolis last Friday in bitterly cold conditions, urging an end to President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown in their city. Protest organisers have listed at least 250 sites across 46 states where demonstrations will occur, including major urban centres such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington DC.
"No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE," reads the prominent slogan on the website nationalshutdown.org, which is coordinating the nationwide action. The movement represents an escalation of pressure even after President Trump indicated he would "de-escalate a little bit" in Minnesota.
Sustained Movement Building
Protest organisers emphasise they are building a sustained movement rather than a one-off demonstration. "We want this to be more of a sustained movement, so going forward: more striking, more protesting," explained Brianna Jackson, a member of the Black Student Union at the University of Minnesota, in a video promoting the strike.
The protests follow the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at a veterans' hospital, and Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three. Both individuals had been monitoring immigration officers as part of a witness movement that enabled the capture of both shootings on cellphone video.
Changing Enforcement Tactics
On Thursday, US border czar Tom Homan, newly installed as leader of Trump's immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis, indicated federal officers would shift toward targeted operations rather than broad street sweeps. This announcement came alongside newly issued internal guidance from a high-ranking Immigration and Customs Enforcement official directing federal officers to refrain from unnecessary communication with "agitators" to avoid inflaming situations.
Despite voters returning Trump to power in 2024 partly due to frustration with illegal immigration, recent polling shows American approval of his immigration policy has fallen to its lowest point in his second term. A Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed a majority of respondents believe his crackdown has gone too far, particularly after weeks of videos showing aggressive tactics by heavily armed and masked officers in Minneapolis.
Grassroots Participation
Across the country, diverse groups are participating in the protest movement. In Georgia, students at 90 high schools from Atlanta to Savannah plan to walk out of classes on Friday. "We are saying no business as usual while ICE is allowed to terrorize our communities," said Claudia Andrade, an immigrant rights organiser with Atlanta's Party for Socialism and Liberation.
In Washington DC, police arrested 54 demonstrators of various religious affiliations who staged a sit-in at the Hart Senate Office Building on the eve of the protests. They held banners reading "Do Justice, Love kindness, Abolish ICE" and demanded the US Senate withhold funding from the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
Personal Motivations
At a memorial where Alex Pretti was killed, a woman laid flowers and quietly wept on Thursday, explaining she felt compelled to protest in his memory. "I'm absolutely not spending any money tomorrow," said Stacy, who requested her last name not be used. "It's my little way of being a voice for those who don't have them, like Alex."
The nationwide protests represent a significant escalation in public response to immigration enforcement tactics, with organisers hoping to maintain momentum through sustained strikes and demonstrations in the coming weeks.
