Thousands of people marched through Minneapolis in freezing temperatures on Friday to demand an end to federal immigration enforcement operations in the city, turning out for one of the largest demonstrations yet against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Organizers said tens of thousands of protesters participated throughout the day, despite temperatures plunging to nearly minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit. While authorities did not provide official crowd estimates, demonstrators filled downtown streets before gathering indoors at the Target Center, where speakers addressed immigration enforcement, civil rights, and recent use-of-force incidents involving federal agents.
The protests were part of a broader action promoted as a general strike, with organizers saying numerous businesses across Minnesota closed in solidarity. Workers from a range of sectors joined marches and rallies, citing concerns over aggressive enforcement tactics by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Tensions in Minneapolis have escalated in recent weeks following several high-profile encounters between ICE agents and residents, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, earlier this month. Protest leaders called for legal accountability in that case and demanded the withdrawal of thousands of federal officers deployed to the region.
