MINNESOTA — January 23, 2026 | SUNTV Global Channel
Businesses across Minnesota shut their doors on Friday as workers walked off the job and joined large-scale protests against the Donald Trump administration’s expanded immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, an action labour unions and faith leaders described as a de facto general strike.
The coordinated protest, branded “ICE Out!”, brought hundreds of demonstrators into the streets despite sub-zero temperatures, marking one of the most significant shows of resistance yet to the federal immigration surge in the state.
In Minneapolis, crowds converged near the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to denounce the transfer of detained migrants onto outbound flights and to demand accountability over the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen who was killed earlier this month by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Clergy members knelt in prayer on roadways near Terminal 1 as protesters chanted slogans condemning ICE operations, according to Reuters. Police from multiple local departments later ordered the crowd to disperse, arresting dozens who refused to leave the area.
Organisers said approximately 100 clergy members were detained, zip-tied, and transported away by bus without incident.
Across the state, bars, restaurants, and retail businesses closed in solidarity with the protests, organisers said, amplifying the economic impact of the demonstrations.
A large afternoon march was planned in Minneapolis, which organisers described as the most visible challenge yet to the federal operation—an enforcement surge that city officials, including Mayor Jacob Frey, have criticised as excessive and destabilising.
Miguel Hernandez, owner of Lito’s Bakery in Minneapolis, said he shut down his shop for the day to join the protest despite the freezing weather.
“This is about standing with people who are hurting,” Hernandez said. “It’s also about telling our elected officials that words alone are not enough.”
President Donald Trump ordered the intensified enforcement following allegations of fraud involving some members of Minnesota’s Somali community. The president has repeatedly used inflammatory rhetoric about Somali immigrants and has vowed to accelerate deportations, including those of asylum seekers and other lawful residents, as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
The operation has triggered sustained unrest in Minneapolis, with residents staging daily demonstrations that often stretch late into the night, using whistles, drums, and other noisemakers.
Clashes have occasionally escalated, with federal agents deploying tear gas and flash-bang grenades. Protesters have accused authorities of intimidation, while the administration insists agents have faced harassment and obstruction while carrying out their duties.
Senior White House officials travelled to Minneapolis this week to defend the operation. Vice President JD Vance, speaking to reporters during a visit on Thursday, said the administration was “doing everything we can to lower the temperature.”
Among those preparing to march was Patty O’Keefe, a nonprofit worker who said frustration with federal actions has reached a tipping point.
“It feels like we’re being pushed to do more because the usual forms of protest haven’t been enough to break through,” she said.
Meanwhile, major corporations headquartered in Minnesota have largely remained silent. Several Fortune 500 companies based in the Minneapolis area have yet to issue public statements on the immigration raids.
Minneapolis-based Target has come under renewed criticism from lawmakers and activists for declining to comment and for failing to clarify what guidance it has given employees should ICE officers appear at its stores. Requests for comment to other Minnesota-based companies, including UnitedHealth, Medtronic, Best Buy, General Mills, and 3M, received no immediate response.
