January 23, 2026 Minnesota protests against ICE

The 2026 Minnesota ICE protests were large-scale protests held on January 23, 2026 across the state of Minnesota in opposition to expanded federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and the Donald Trump administration's mass deportation policies.

The protests emerged amid a period of escalating federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota that preceded and continued through January 2026. Tensions rose after the Trump administration significantly increased funding and deployed thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agents statewide as part of Operation Metro Surge, drawing sustained criticism from local leaders and activists. Public outrage intensified following the fatal shooting of Renée Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, and further escalated as Minnesota officials and community members decried the lack of criminal accountability for Ross and the broader federal operation. In the weeks that followed, persistent ICE activity, aggressive raids, and confrontations with residents contributed to growing calls for a coordinated protest.

On January 23, 2026, statewide demonstrations to oppose ICE operations and demand accountability and policy changes began. Organizers estimated that tens of thousands attended associated protests in subzero temperatures, and hundreds of businesses across Minnesota closed in solidarity with the action. Even some workers whose employers did not close still went on strike.

Subsequent polling commissioned by the May Day Strong coalition and conducted by Blue Rose Research found that roughly one in four Minnesota voters either participated directly in the January 23 shutdown and protests or had a close family member who did. Among those participants, approximately 38 percent reported staying off the job that day, either by choosing not to work or because their workplace closed.