From Marches to Shutdowns: How Opposition to ICE Is Reshaping Minnesota

Nihma Abdallah

Staff Writer

‘No work, no school, no shopping’ is the new slogan of Minnesotan protesters, who are getting ready for a second wave of massive protests in the Twin Cities. These protests are expected to take place from January 30 to January 31 and are following the initial wave of marches, which were thought to be the greatest appearance of opposition to the current Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surge within the state of Minnesota.

The original demonstrations took place on January 23, when what started as localized rallies opposing I.C.E. quickly escalated into statewide economic shutdowns, mass arrests, and national political repercussions. The turnout had surpassed all expectations when tens of thousands of citizens marched in Minneapolis, Minnesota through below-freezing weather, while simultaneously participating in an economic blackout. Hundreds of local businesses announced shutdowns in solidarity, and thousands of Minnesotans took an absence from their places of work to assemble in action, according to The Guardian.

Many others took action by not taking part in any monetary transactions, including shopping. The protests continued to grow when last Friday alone about 100 clergy members were arrested at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport while holding a protest calling on U.S. airlines to refuse to transport detainees arrested by I.C.E. According to The Guardian, protesters had gathered outside the airport, singing and praying together as deportation flights continued to depart, and were met with violent resistance.

Furthermore, all organizers had collaborated and engaged in a demand for I.C.E. to leave the state and for the agency to be investigated for constitutional violations. These demands were heightened after an unarmed woman named Renee Good was shot by a federal immigration officer earlier this month. Now, people are getting prepared for a new upsurge of walkouts to unfold, sparked by numerous factors but intensified by the recent killing of Alex Pretti. Alex Pretti, a former ICU nurse, was, according to The New York Times, pinned down when immigration agents opened fire and murdered him. The response: more protests and an unequivocal sense of outrage rising across the country.

President Trump’s response to the crisis suggests an administration struggling to maintain control. Just 20 minutes after public backlash initially swept, the president announced on social media that he was sending White House Border Czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis, which, according to The New York Times, is a tacit acknowledgement that he was losing control of a situation that posed one of the most serious political threats of his second administration. Although Trump subsequently softened his tone, he initially allowed senior officials to escalate rhetoric. According to The New York Times, Stephen Miller, the architect of Trump’s immigration policy, labeled Pretti a “terrorist.” These claims were made even as evidence showed Pretti was restrained when he was killed.

The president had similarly refuted assertions and claims of misconduct while dismissing criticism in additional high-profile cases, specifically following an assault on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. When questioned about the incident, Trump, without evidence, insinuated the incident was staged. According to ABC News, he also remarked that she “probably had herself sprayed.”

Moreover, rather than working toward de-escalating the situation, the solution this administration is posing seems to use hard power. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) attested to having made 3,000 arrests in Minnesota over the past six weeks. The U.S. Army put 1,500 soldiers on standby for possible deployment to Minnesota, as 3,000 immigration officers have been dispatched to the state by the Trump administration. At record levels, immigrants with no criminal record persist in making up the greatest group in U.S. immigration detentions nationwide.

As backlash hardens and protests expand, Trump’s reliance on hard power over dialogue raises pressing questions about the future. While the next step in this issue remains unclear, Minnesotans continue to make clear their resistance to federal immigration policy will continue.

Image courtesy of Getty Images.