In brief
Minnesota saw unprecedented protests against ICE this weekend as businesses closed and thousands rallied against ongoing immigration enforcement. The demonstrations were fueled by recent incidents of detainment among local families, signaling widespread community distress over ICE's operations. Local business owners expressed concerns over the economic impact and moral implications of the raids, calling for significant policy changes and oversight of immigration enforcement.
Hundreds of businesses in Minnesota closed on Friday and thousands of protesters turned out in severely cold weather to demonstrate against the ongoing immigration crackdown in the state. The widespread rallies come after organizers encouraged residents to skip work or school and refrain from shopping in a show of opposition to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).The ICE operation ordered by the Trump administration in Minnesota has been going on for more than six weeks. The administration has characterized it as a public safety operation aimed at deporting criminals illegally in the country. Critics warn that migrants with no criminal record and US citizens are being detained too.On Friday, about 100 clergy members were arrested at the Minneapolis airport while holding a protest calling on US airlines to refuse to transport detainees arrested by ICE. A spokesman for the airports commission told the Minnesota Reformer that the arrests took place after the permitted activity went beyond agreed upon terms and was done to protect public safety and airport access. Thousands of federal officers have been deployed to Minnesota as part of Operation Metro Surge.The killing of 37-year-old Minneapolis woman Renee Good earlier this month flared tensions across the state and brought condemnation from local officials. We want ICE out of Minnesota, and we want ICE out of every state, with their extreme overreach, said Bishop Dwayne Royster, whose organization Faith in Action is supporting local partners in Minneapolis during the strike. We want Congress to stand up and provide oversight to ICE.Friday's marches are thought to represent the largest display of opposition to date to the current immigration policy in the state, as thousands of people walked downtown through temperatures of -23C (-10F). As they made their way to the city's NBA arena to hold an anti-ICE rally, protesters chanted and played music.Minneapolis resident Corey Lamb closed his business, Harriet Grove Botanicals, in solidarity and headed to a protest, objecting to the presence of ICE agents in his city and the recent death of Good. He also perceived the immigration raids as a threat to local businesses. When those individuals are struggling because they're afraid of being detained or disappeared, it has an effect not only morally but economically on what's going on here, and also in the greater Midwest, Lamb articulated, highlighting the interconnectedness of community welfare and economic stability.The protest saw participation from various businesses ranging from restaurants to tattoo parlors, with owners like Kim Bartmann indicating the tough choice to close as it posed severe economic implications for them during an already difficult season.ICE's presence has sparked outrage among Minnesota's residents, with reports of detainments, including that of school-aged children, amplifying concerns over their operations. In the face of ICE's growing authority, calls for accountability and humane treatment within immigration enforcement resonate throughout the community.
