Organizers nationwide are calling for a "National Shutdown Day" on Friday, January 30, urging millions of Americans to boycott work, schools, and businesses in protest of federal immigration enforcement operations.
The nationwide protest was sparked by a series of deadly incidents involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in recent weeks. An ICE agent fatally shot Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident and U.S. citizen, on January 7 while she was driving in South Minneapolis.
Additional deaths linked to federal agents have been reported in Chicago, Los Angeles, and other locations, according to activist statements. These incidents have triggered coordinated demonstrations across the country, beginning with a statewide strike in Minnesota on January 23 that drew thousands of participants.
Growing Movement With Business and Student Support
The "No Work, No School, No Shopping" campaign, promoted through the National Shutdown website, has gained momentum with endorsements from student organizations, labor unions, and community groups, according to ABC7.
Student leaders at the University of Minnesota, including representatives from the Black, Ethiopian, and Somali student associations, are helping spearhead the nationwide effort. Major celebrities, including actor Edward Norton and hip-hop artist Vic Mensa, have publicly supported the action, with Norton calling for a "national general economic strike."
Participants include hundreds of small businesses and worker cooperatives. In Los Angeles, Proof Bakery, a worker-owned cooperative in Atwater Village, announced it would close in solidarity. Restaurants, tattoo shops, and other local establishments across the country have made similar commitments. However, participation remains uncertain.
Chicago Public Schools stated that students participating will not receive an excused absence, and in Illinois, private employers can legally terminate workers who take part in the protest, Axios reported.
Read more: Four Children Arrested by ICE at Columbia Heights Minnesota School District as Tensions Ramp Up
Concerns Over ICE Enforcement Tactics
The protests reflect broader concerns about ICE's enforcement methods during Trump's second term. Federal agents have been accused of conducting home raids without warrants, separating children from families, and establishing checkpoints in busy streets.
According to local accounts in Minneapolis, more than six people were detained from Boyle Heights in a single day, including a flower vendor and a father delivering meals to his children at school.
Some lawmakers from both parties have expressed support for limiting ICE operations. Congresswoman Ayana Pressley, a Democrat, has reiterated her longstanding opposition to ICE, while Senator Susan Collins, a Republican, has called for ICE to withdraw from Minnesota and Maine, as per NewArab.
Activists emphasize that economic action has proven effective historically. "We've seen strikes work," said Daniela Diaz of Proof Bakery, expressing hope that the coordinated action will lead to an end to ICE operations in American communities.
