Thousands of protesters gathered in Minneapolis and cities across the United States on Friday, braving freezing temperatures to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota amid growing backlash against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign.
The demonstrations followed the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, allegedly by federal immigration agents earlier this month. In response, students and teachers staged coordinated walkouts nationwide, from California to New York, as part of a national day of protest.
Under what officials have described as a national immigration crackdown, President Donald Trump deployed approximately 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis area — a force five times larger than the city’s police department. The officers, many wearing tactical gear, have been conducting patrols and enforcement operations under Operation Metro Surge.
Protesters criticized the tactics used by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with demonstrators ranging from families with young children to elderly residents and student activists. Many carried signs calling for ICE to leave the city, while others described the operation as an attack on civil liberties.
The protests extended well beyond Minnesota, with organizers forecasting around 250 demonstrations across 46 states, including major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., under the slogan: “No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE.”
Adding to the controversy, rock musician Bruce Springsteen publicly voiced support, performing at a benefit concert in Minneapolis for the families of the two victims. Meanwhile, the acting head of the FBI’s Minneapolis field office was removed from his position, according to sources, and reassigned to Washington amid scrutiny over federal operations in the city.
The unrest has also reached Congress, where Democrats have threatened to block funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, raising the risk of a partial U.S. government shutdown.
According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, public approval of Trump’s immigration policy has dropped to its lowest level of his second term, fueled by viral videos showing aggressive enforcement tactics by masked federal agents.
While Trump has signaled interest in “de-escalating” tensions, he has simultaneously reaffirmed his support for the operation, stating that it would not be scaled back. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has called for an immediate drawdown of federal forces, warning that public safety remains at risk.
