Nationwide dissent grows over ICE surge
People shout slogans as they gather at a makeshift memorial at the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. Photo: Reuters
Protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown spread across the United States on Friday as outrage deepened over the fatal shootings of two US citizens during federal enforcement operations in Minnesota, with demonstrators demanding an end to "heavy-handed and discriminatory tactics".
Student organisers called for walkouts and a nationwide shutdown, urging "no work, no school and no shopping" in protest against the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis.
The demonstrations followed last week's large rally in sub-zero temperatures and came amid mixed signals from President Donald Trump's administration over the future of 'Operation Metro Surge', which has deployed around 3,000 federal agents to the area.
The protests were triggered by the deaths of nurse Alex Pretti, 37, and another US citizen, Renee Good, who were shot during encounters with federal agents this month. Trump's border chief, Tom Homan, was dispatched to Minneapolis to take charge of the operation and initially struck a conciliatory tone, saying agents would shift from broad street sweeps to more targeted actions and that a drawdown of personnel was under consideration.
However, hours later, Trump contradicted that message, saying his administration was "not at all" pulling back. In a late-night social media post, he described Pretti as an "agitator", citing footage of an earlier confrontation with agents, further inflaming public anger.
Minnesota's Democratic leadership has sharply criticised the federal response. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described the immigration operations as an "invasion on our democracy", accusing agents of trampling constitutional rights and targeting communities on ethnic grounds.
Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison have also denounced a Justice Department probe into whether their opposition to the enforcement surge constitutes a crime, calling it politically motivated.
Tensions escalated further with the arrest of former CNN anchor Don Lemon, charged with violating federal law during a protest inside a St Paul Church. Lemon said he was reporting as a journalist, while his lawyer called the arrest an unprecedented attack on press freedom. Several federal prosecutors in Minnesota have resigned in protest over the department's handling of the cases linked to the shootings.
Demonstrations were reported in dozens of states, with school closures in parts of Colorado and Arizona due to anticipated mass absences. In Washington, dozens of faith leaders were arrested while protesting at the Hart Senate Office Building, demanding Congress withhold funding from the Department of Homeland Security.
The unrest has spilled into Congress, where lawmakers are scrambling to avert a partial government shutdown amid disputes over funding and potential restrictions on immigration enforcement. Public approval of Trump's immigration policy has fallen to its lowest level of his second term, according to a recent poll, as Minneapolis remains the focal point of a widening national backlash.