Protesters Flood U.S. Streets Against ICE Operations
A labor-focused news outlet documented the mass mobilization—dubbed "National Shutdown"—spanning at least 300 cities, featuring business closures, student walkouts, and large-scale street demonstrations.
The nationwide unrest erupted following two fatal shootings of Minneapolis residents by federal agents this month. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, died on Jan. 7 after being shot by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, the federal body tasked with immigration law enforcement.
Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was killed on Jan. 24 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents while monitoring a federal operation.
Campus protests ignited earlier this week throughout Los Angeles. Over 1,000 students at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) abandoned classes at the Westwood campus on Wednesday.
By Friday, organizers had established at least 10 separate protest sites across Los Angeles, including demonstrations at City Hall, the downtown ICE detention facility, and throughout neighborhoods like Echo Park, Santa Monica, and Pasadena.
Rachel Elder, attending a demonstration with her son, told media she was protesting what she characterized as illegal brutality by ICE personnel. "I'm here with my son because we are protesting the occupation of ICE and the unlawful violence, murder that the agents have committed against innocent protesters," she said.
Numerous businesses participated by shutting down or adjusting operations. Throughout Boyle Heights, a demonstration hotspot, restaurants, cafes, and shops along Cesar Chavez Avenue closed their doors, many posting "FUERA ICE" (ICE Out) signs prominently.
California demonstrations represented just one component of the sweeping economic shutdown. In New York City, approximately 7,000 people assembled at Foley Square in Manhattan. San Francisco saw at least 70 businesses announce strike-day closures.
In Portland, Oregon, hundreds of high school students abandoned classrooms, marching through drizzle-soaked streets carrying placards declaring "Stop ICE Terror Now." Chicago witnessed business shutdowns across multiple neighborhoods.
Minnesota, the protest movement's epicenter, saw thousands rally in downtown Minneapolis. Organizers reported more than 500 businesses committed to either closing or participating in solidarity actions Friday.
The Trump administration has mounted a vigorous defense of its immigration enforcement strategies.
Tom Homan, the administration's border enforcement chief, stated Thursday that while the federal government is developing plans to reduce federal immigration enforcement officer presence in Minnesota, they are "not surrendering the president's mission on immigration enforcement."
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