In a bold display of economic resistance, hundreds of businesses in Minnesota have shuttered their doors in a coordinated protest against the ongoing immigration crackdown led by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the state. Thousands of demonstrators braved the frigid cold to join rallies and marches, voicing their opposition to the federal agency’s actions.
The widespread protests were organised in response to a call by activists for residents to skip work or school and refrain from shopping, showcasing their discontent with the Trump administration’s immigration policies. For over six weeks, the federal government has been conducting “Operation Metro Surge” in Minnesota, deploying thousands of officers to the state.
While the administration has characterised the operation as a public safety measure aimed at deporting criminal illegal immigrants, critics argue that migrants with no criminal record and even US citizens are being detained. The recent killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Renee Good has further fuelled the outrage, with protesters demanding that Congress provide oversight to ICE’s activities.
“We want ICE out of Minnesota, and we want ICE out of every state, with their extreme overreach,” said Bishop Dwayne Royster, whose organisation Faith in Action is supporting local partners in Minneapolis during the strike. “We want Congress to stand up and provide oversight to ICE.”
The economic impact of the ICE presence has been significant, with business owners like Corey Lamb of Harriet Grove Botanical expressing concerns about the detrimental effects on their operations. “When those individuals are struggling because they’re afraid of being detained or disappeared, it has an effect not only morally but economically on what’s going on here, and also in the greater Midwest,” Lamb told the BBC.
Kim Bartmann, the owner of six restaurants in Minneapolis, echoed these sentiments, noting that sales at her establishments have dropped by more than 30% over the past three weeks due to the ICE crackdown. “Economically, it is a severe blow to my business,” she said, adding that some of her staff, even US citizens or those with valid work permits, are too afraid to leave their homes.
The protests have garnered widespread attention, with school officials in the suburb of Columbia Heights announcing that four of their students, ranging from ages 5 to 17, have been detained by ICE. A two-year-old child was also reportedly detained while travelling with her undocumented father in South Minneapolis.
As the standoff continues, the Trump administration’s push for increased cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities has drawn further criticism from Minnesota’s state and city governments, which have adopted “sanctuary” policies limiting such collaboration.
