Why Minnesotans Held a Statewide Strike to Protest ICE
Quick Summary
In a massive statewide protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), tens of thousands of Minnesotans participated in a "no work, no school, no shopping" strike, bringing the state's economy to a standstill. The demonstration, a powerful coalition of faith leaders, labor unions, and community organizers, was triggered by the killing of an unarmed woman, Renee Good, by an ICE officer. This event unified the community behind demands for ICE's removal from the state, legal accountability for the officer, an end to federal funding for the agency, and a human rights investigation into its conduct. The strike saw widespread solidarity, with hundreds of businesses and major cultural institutions closing their doors, and thousands marching in Minneapolis despite extreme cold. Clergy members protested at the airport to pressure airlines against cooperating with deportations, resulting in arrests, while university unions criticized their administration's neutrality. The Department of Homeland Security dismissed the protest, reporting 3,000 recent arrests and framing detainees as criminals—a claim at odds with national data—as 3,000 federal officers were already in the state and 1,500 U.S. soldiers were placed on standby.
On a freezing Friday, tens of thousands of people across Minnesota decided they’d had enough, bringing the state’s economy to a halt to protest the growing presence of Immigration and Customs...
On a freezing Friday, tens of thousands of people across Minnesota decided they’d had enough, bringing the state’s economy to a halt to protest the growing presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The idea behind the "no work, no school, no shopping" strike was to send a clear message: federal immigration authorities were no longer welcome. The movement was a powerful mix of faith leaders, labor unions, and community organizers, leading to marches and shuttered businesses across the state. During the demonstrations, video footage captured the arrest of about 100 clergy members by police. It was more than just a single march; it was a statewide day of action, with thousands taking the day off and many more joining in by simply not spending any money. The Minneapolis city council even threw its support behind the general strike.
So, what sparked this "Day of Truth & Freedom"? The final straw was the recent killing of Renee Good, an unarmed woman who was shot by a federal immigration officer right in Minneapolis. That event brought the community together with a clear set of demands. They wanted ICE out of Minnesota, the officer responsible for Good's death held legally accountable, an end to additional federal funding for ICE, and a full investigation into the agency for human rights and constitutional violations.
"The government in the state of Minnesota has not offered any path towards stopping these attacks, this violence," explained Kieran Knutson, president of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7250, just last week.
The show of solidarity was incredible. Hundreds of local businesses closed their doors for the day. Even major cultural hubs like the Walker Art Center, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Science Museum of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Children’s Museum went dark.
At the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, a known hub for daily deportation flights, hundreds of clergy members gathered to pressure airline companies to stop cooperating with ICE. And despite the brutal weather—with temperatures dropping to -10°F and a wind chill that felt like -20°F—thousands still marched through downtown Minneapolis before holding a final rally at the Target Center.
"We are a northern state, and we are built for the cold, and we are going to show up," Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minnesota Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, had declared earlier.
Even small businesses pitched in. One childcare worker in Minneapolis, who asked to stay anonymous to protect the immigrant families she works with, said her center closed after parents of the children showed overwhelming support. "They all stood up for it, too," she said.
Tensions also flared on university campuses. Labor unions for student workers and staff pushed the University of Minnesota system to shut down its Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Duluth campuses so people could join the protest. The graduate labor union pointed out that ICE's actions have been impacting student workers since the Trump administration began, referencing an incident in early 2025 when ICE arrested three international students, even after an immigration judge had ordered their release.
"It’s really concerning to us that the university is remaining neutral in a time when immigrant communities and international students are literally under attack," said Abaki Beck, the union's president. In response, a university spokesperson simply pointed to a memo about the need to "ensure continuity of operations," while supporting lawful civic expression.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported making 3,000 arrests in Minnesota in the last six weeks alone. A DHS spokesperson dismissed the strike, asking, "Why would these labor bosses not want these public safety threats out of their communities?" The department also released 23 uncaptioned photos of people with criminal records who had supposedly been arrested by ICE. But that picture doesn't quite match the national data, which shows that the largest group of people in U.S. immigration detention—now at a record high—are immigrants with no criminal record at all. On top of that, the U.S. army had placed 1,500 soldiers on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota, where the Trump administration had already sent 3,000 immigration officers.