The coordinated action, branded by organisers as an “ICE Out!” day of protest, drew hundreds of demonstrators into the streets despite freezing temperatures.
Businesses across Minnesota, United States, went dark on Friday as workers walked off the job and joined mass demonstrations protesting the Donald Trump administration’s decision to flood Minneapolis with federal immigration enforcement officers, an action labor unions and faith groups described as a de facto general strike.
The coordinated action, branded by organisers as an “ICE Out!” day of protest, drew hundreds of demonstrators into the streets despite freezing temperatures.
In Minneapolis, large crowds gathered near Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to condemn the transfer of detained migrants on outbound flights and to demand accountability over the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent earlier this month.
Near Terminal 1, clergy members knelt on a roadway in prayer while demonstrators chanted slogans denouncing ICE, according to REUTERS.
Police from several local departments ordered the crowd to disperse before arresting dozens of protesters who refused to move.
Organisers said roughly 100 clergy members were taken into custody, zip-tied, and transported away by bus without incident.
Elsewhere in the state, bars, restaurants, and retail shops remained closed in solidarity with the protests, according to organisers.
In Minneapolis, workers and activists planned a large afternoon march, which organizers said was intended to be the most visible show of resistance yet to the federal immigration surge, an operation city leaders, including Mayor Jacob Frey, have criticised as excessive and destabilizing.
Miguel Hernandez, owner of Lito’s Bakery in Minneapolis, said he shut down his business for the day to join the demonstrations despite the harsh weather.
“This is about standing with people who are hurting,” Hernandez said. “It’s also about telling our elected officials that statements alone are not enough.”
President Donald Trump ordered the intensified enforcement action following allegations of fraud involving some members of Minnesota’s Somali community.
The president has repeatedly used inflammatory language about Somali immigrants and has pledged to accelerate deportations, including of asylum seekers and other lawful residents, as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
The operation has sparked sustained unrest in Minneapolis, where residents have staged daily demonstrations, often using whistles, drums, and other instruments late into the night.
Confrontations have occasionally escalated, with federal agents deploying tear gas and flash-bang grenades, while protesters have accused authorities of intimidation.
The administration, for its part, has said agents have been harassed and obstructed while carrying out their duties.
Senior administration officials travelled to Minneapolis this week to defend the operation.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters during a visit on Thursday that the White House was “doing everything we can to lower the temperature.”
Among those planning to march on Friday was Patty O’Keefe, a nonprofit worker who said the protests reflect growing frustration with federal actions in the state.
“It feels like we’re being pushed to do more because the usual forms of protest haven’t been enough to break through,” she said.
Meanwhile, major corporations headquartered in Minnesota have largely stayed silent.
Several Fortune 500 companies based in the Minneapolis area have not issued public statements on the immigration raids.
Minneapolis-based Target has faced renewed criticism from lawmakers and activists for declining to comment and for not clarifying what guidance it has provided employees if ICE officers appear at its stores.
Requests for comment to other Minnesota-based companies, including UnitedHealth, Medtronic, Best Buy, General Mills, and 3M, did not receive immediate responses.