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In a bold response to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, activists across the United States are orchestrating a widespread strike dubbed “no work, no school, no shopping” this Friday.
This wave of protests has been fueled by the tragic death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse fatally shot while filming Border Patrol officers during an immigration raid in Minneapolis. His death has amplified criticism of the administration, particularly following the Jan. 7 incident in which Renee Good was killed by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer while in her car.
“The Twin Cities have set a powerful example for the nation — to end ICE’s oppressive actions, we must bring everything to a halt,” proclaimed one of the numerous websites and social media platforms rallying communities nationwide to join the cause.
In anticipation of significant participation, some schools in Arizona, Colorado, and elsewhere have proactively canceled classes. Meanwhile, many demonstrations are set to take place in public spaces, including city centers, state capitols, and churches across the country.
Near Minneapolis, a large crowd braved the biting cold early Friday morning, assembling at the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, a frequent site for recent protests.
After speeches from clergy members, demonstrators marched toward the facility’s restricted area, jeering at a line of DHS agents to “quit your jobs” and “get out of Minnesota.” Much of the group later dispersed after they were threatened with arrest by local law enforcement for blocking the road.
Michelle Pasko, a retired communications worker, said she joined the demonstration after witnessing federal agents stopping immigrants at a bus stop near her home in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
“They’re roaming our streets, they’re staying in hotels near our schools,” she said. “Everyone in this country has rights, and the federal government seems to have forgotten that. We’re here to remind them.”
In Michigan, dozens of students walked out of Friday morning classes at Groves High School in Birmingham, north of Detroit. The students braved the zero-degree temperatures and walked about a mile to the closest business district where a number of morning commuters honked horns in support.
“We’re here to protest ICE and what they’re doing all over the country, especially in Minnesota,” said Logan Albritton, a 17-year-old senior at Groves. “It’s not right to treat our neighbors and our fellow Americans this way.”
Numerous businesses announced they would be closed during Friday’s “blackout.” Others said they would be staying open, but donating a portion of their proceeds to organizations that support immigrants and provide legal aid to those facing deportation.
Otway Restaurant and its sister Otway Bakery in New York posted on social media that its bakery would stay open and 50% of proceeds would go to the New York Immigration Coalition. The restaurant remained open as well.
“As a small business who already took a huge financial hit this week due to the winter storm closures, we will remain open on Friday,” they posted.
In Maine, where Republican Sen. Susan Collins announced that ICE is ending its surge, people gathered outside a Portland church on Friday morning, holding signs that said “No ICE for ME,” a play on the state’s postal code.
Grace Valenzuela, an administrator with Portland Public Schools, decried an “enforcement system that treats our presence as suspect.” She said ICE’s actions brought “daily trauma” to the school system.
“Schools are meant to be places of learning, safety and belonging. ICE undermines that mission every time it destabilizes a family,” Valenzuela said.
Portland Mayor Mark Dion, a Democrat, spoke about the importance of speaking out in the wake of ICE’s actions in the city.
“Dissent is Democratic. Dissent is American. It’s the cornerstone of our democracy,” Dion said.
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