In the wake of two murders and an endless slew of violence and illegal raids by ICE agents in Minnesota, a grassroots movement led by Minnesota students looks to expand the success of the statewide shutdown last Friday — but this time on a national scale. The Twin Cities have again activated the nation and many groups, businesses, and organizations are answering the call to shut it down across the US on Friday, Jan. 30th.
“Shut it down” is not just a slogan
Minnesota made history on Friday, Jan. 23rd 2026 with over 100,000 people participating in a statewide shutdown and taking to the streets. This shutdown was the first of its scope and scale in nearly 80 years, coming after weeks of continuously expanding and increasingly violent ICE activity, including in two heinous public murders of community members in Minneapolis. The community has risen up against the federal occupation since the beginning of the ICE operation in the Twin Cities, and as ICE activity has continued to escalate the resistance has strengthened in direct response.
The public has demonstrated the tremendous power of the working class. “Shut it down” is not just a slogan, but a tactic that we will exercise if our communities remain under attack. People have taken to the streets in the thousands since Alex Pretti’s murder on Saturday, Jan. 24th, with the call for the shutdown to extend on a national scale building throughout the US. We demand ICE out of our streets and justice for Renee, Alex, and all victims of ICE terror.
The Trump administration has targeted Minnesota with the largest deployment of ICE agents in DHS history. This force of untrained and antagonistic federal agents have inflicted endless, unnecessary brutality against residents, immigrants and non-immigrants alike.
CBP and ICE wants to sow fear and intimidate people out of defending and protecting their community. While hundreds and thousands throughout the state have exercised their constitutional right to document the enforcement activities, ICE has conducted countless illegal raids and has retaliated against bystanders with violence and murder. Renee Nicole Good was shot three times while sitting in her vehicle observing ICE activity. Tens of thousands took to the streets in outrage, ultimately resulting in the statewide shutdown on the 23rd.
Alex Pretti was defending another observer from a vicious and unjustified attack by an ICE agent when he was jumped by a group of agents, tackled to the ground, restrained, and then shot over 7 times in a clear and public execution. It is not a coincidence that this happened less than 24 hours after 100,000 people took to the streets to demand ICE out.
Don’t accept the bare minimum, expand the strike!
While Greg Bovino has been removed from his position as the top CBP official as of Tuesday, there has been no action towards holding the killer agents accountable, and the operation is continuing to expand as more agents are deployed to the Cities. All of this comes after House democrats joined republicans in a vote last week to approve a bill that will increase the ICE budget by another $10 billion, a budget larger than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined.
The removal of Bovino is a testament to the strength of the resistance and shows people power can move the needle on national politics, but it is the bare minimum; this is just the beginning of the demands, which include accountability and an end to the occupation. While Bovino has been demoted, he is being replaced by Tom Homan, a figure who has been responsible for leading a terror campaign of his own.
The entire country and world has eyes on the Twin Cities, which has once again become the compass of resistance for the rest of the nation. With the success of Friday’s shutdown being followed by the second murder, it is clear that we must continue to push and refuse to accept the attacks on our community.
After a single conversation with Trump on Monday, Tim Walz has rolled over for the administration, saying he is open to “giving them the benefit of the doubt”. ICE continues to conduct mass raids throughout the state, detaining documented and undocumented adults and children. DHS is moving on plans to rapidly expand mega detention facilities throughout the country, including Minnesota where plans for a center in Shakopee, a suburb of the Twin Cities, were hindered by a swift and effective community response this week.
This underscores the need to bring an end to not just the violence, but the entire occupation. We know we cannot rely on those in power to fight for us. The democrats will not stand up for the people; their donors profit off of mass incarceration and detention. Walz acts as if his hands are tied, but there are immediate actions that he could take to improve the conditions of residents at this time of crisis, including:
- Granting rent cancellation for residents
- Providing a grant/loan program for impacted businesses and landlords
- Prohibiting state police from crowd control or aiding ICE
- Demanding ICE out of Minnesota completely
All out for January 30th!
The community is disillusioned with the feeble attempts at pacification and the inaction of politicians. The Somali and Black community, the most oppressed members of the working class, have stood up and put out a call to extend the shutdown – this time on a national scale. The call, initiated by UMN student groups, quickly spread throughout the region and beyond as it was uplifted by many grassroots groups and organizations. Minnesota has inspired the rest of the nation into action as students, businesses, organizations of all sorts, celebrities, and influencers are answering the call for a shutdown on Friday Jan. 30.
The PSL stands in absolute solidarity with the immigrant and impacted communities. We support the call for a day of action this Friday and demand justice for victims of ICE, ICE out of Minnesota, and ICE out of everywhere!
