Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jan 30: Hundreds of protesters are expected to take to the streets across the United States from Friday, staging demonstrations against the recent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The fresh wave of protests comes amid growing outrage over at least eight deaths linked to ICE agents since the start of the year, including the deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
Student organisers in Minnesota have called for walkouts and protests nationwide on Friday, demanding that federal immigration agents withdraw from the state. The organisers, led by student groups at the University of Minnesota, have announced a “national shutdown”.
“No work. No school. No shopping. Stop funding ICE,” reads a slogan posted on the website nationalshutdown.org.
As per organisers, protests are planned at around 250 sites across 46 states, including major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington.
“The entire country is shocked and outraged at the brutal killings of Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Silverio Villegas González, and Keith Porter Jr. by federal agents… It is time for us to all stand up together in a nationwide shutdown and say enough is enough!” the organisers stated.
The call for renewed demonstrations follows last week’s protests, when thousands marched in Minneapolis demanding an end to President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Protesters are set to hold demonstrations on January 30 and 31, calling for the permanent removal of ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from American cities and towns. The protests have reportedly been endorsed by several student and rights groups.
Apart from demanding an end to raids, protesters are also seeking justice for people detained by ICE, as well as those who died in ICE custody or in incidents linked to federal agents.
Organisers said that while Friday will see walkouts led by student groups in Minnesota, Saturday will be observed as an “ICE Out of Everywhere National Day of Action”, with protests, vigils and demonstrations planned across all 50 states and Washington DC.
Amid mounting opposition, President Trump said he wanted to “de-escalate a little bit” and appointed border chief Tom Homan as a new point man in Minneapolis. Homan has reportedly suggested that some federal agents could be withdrawn from the city after weeks of protests.
However, Trump, commenting on Pretti’s killing, described him as an “agitator and, perhaps, insurrectionist,” in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Reports said the two agents involved in Pretti’s shooting have been placed on leave.
Meanwhile, a recent YouGov poll has indicated that opposition to ICE has increased, with more Americans now saying they support abolishing the agency than those opposing its elimination. The poll also found that a majority believe ICE tactics are too forceful, while around half strongly disapprove of how the agency is carrying out its duties.
The issue has also sparked political pushback, with Democrats demanding constraints on immigration enforcement agencies and raising objections to funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
Tech entrepreneur and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman has also urged more tech leaders to speak out against what he called the Trump administration’s “excesses”, following the recent incidents that have