Minnesota Residents Defy Subzero Cold in General Strike Against ICE

The "no work, no school, no shopping" strike drew broad participation from labor unions, faith leaders, and local businesses. Roughly 700 businesses across the state shuttered their operations in solidarity, while others pledged their daily proceeds to immigrant rights organizations. Demonstrators targeted the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a known site for deportation flights, where clergy members and labor activists formed picket lines and blocked a terminal road.

Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minnesota Regional Labor Federation, noted that the state's residents are accustomed to harsh winter conditions and remained committed to the cause despite the extreme weather. The strike follows a series of violent confrontations between federal agents and the public, including the fatal shooting of a legal observer and the detention of children. Organizers are demanding the withdrawal of ICE from Minnesota and legal accountability for the agent responsible for the death of Renee Good earlier this month.