By Martha Grevatt
February 3, 2026
January 30 was a historic day, one in which many thousands of people in Minneapolis and across the U.S. answered the call for a general strike to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) terror. This terror has included the murder of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Keith Porter in Los Angeles and dozens more in 2025 and 2026.
Around 50,000 people demonstrated in Minneapolis on Jan. 23, the first day of “no work, no school, no shopping” against ICE. The second call was to expand the strike countrywide. Many cities had huge demonstrations on or around Jan. 30, most of them in freezing or below average temperatures. Again, tens of thousands of protesters also filled the streets of Minneapolis, chanting “ICE out!”
Beyond the huge numbers, Jan. 30 was significant as a strike against the capitalist state. This was not simply a strike over economics or working conditions. Like the strikes in Europe against war and for Palestine, this political strike represents an advance in the class struggle and demonstrates an elevation of class consciousness.
On Feb. 1, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) held vigils for Alex Pretti across the country. Pretti, a nurse at the Veterans Administration, was a member of AFGE Local 3669.
Below are some on-the-ground reports of local actions.
New York City: Honoring victims of ICE
Over 1,000 workers thronged outside the Veterans Administration hospital in New York City on Jan. 29, in extremely harsh weather conditions of 9° F and violent winds, to honor, remember and mourn the workers murdered by ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Outside New York City Veterans Affairs hospital, Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo: Renee Imperato)
The vigil was called by many unions: Service Employees Union (SEIU) Local 1199, AFGE Local 3911, the Federal Unionists Network (FUN), Association of Legislative Employees (ALE Union), Workers United, National Nurses United (NNU), Communication Workers of America (CWA), United Auto Workers (UAW) Region 9A and others. They demanded justice for all the victims of racist ICE and CBP: Keith Porter, Renee Nicole Good, Alex Jeffrey Petti and people who were murdered in detention by lack of medical care and without access to life-saving medications.
In spite of their physical challenges, demonstrators overcrowded 23rd Street from First Avenue to FDR Drive. The fact that so many people attended — beyond expectations — showed that oppressed people and the working class are rising up, in Minneapolis and across the country from coast to coast. Thousands more people marched in New York City as part of nationwide “ICE Out” protests in solidarity with the Minneapolis general strike on Jan. 30.
Philadelphia: People demand ‘ICE OUT’ laws
Immigrants and their allies chanted as they packed the hallway outside the Philadelphia City Council on Jan. 29. Once inside, dozens of people testified for “ICE OUT” legislation, which aims to limit the ICE agents’ operations within the city.
Philadelphia, Jan. 29, 2026. (Photo: Joe Piette)
Several pieces of legislation, which include measures to protect city residents from ICE’s activities — presented to the City Council as people in the audience cheered and chanted — received support from 14 of the city’s 17 council members.
If enacted into law, the legislation would prevent ICE agents from hiding their identities with masks and unmarked vehicles; prohibit ICE from using city-owned property for staging raids; prohibit the city from collaborations with ICE on data; ban 287(g) agreements, which allow municipal police to act as ICE agents; and prohibit city agencies from collaborating with ICE.
The bills would also prevent city agencies from collecting citizenship or immigration status information or sharing personal data with ICE and prohibit discrimination or denial of services based on citizenship or immigration status by the city, employers, housing providers or private businesses. The “ICE OUT” package bars city employees from granting ICE access to city-owned spaces — such as libraries, shelters, health centers and recreation centers — without a judicial warrant.
The hearing was a clear response to massive anti-ICE protests in Philadelphia and across the U.S. and a significant step in the city’s efforts to address people’s concerns over ICE’s continuing operations in Philadelphia.
The “ICE OUT” package will move to Council committees for discussion before being voted on by City Council. Then, if the Council approves the legislation, it will move to Mayor Cherelle Parker’s desk to be signed into law. It’s unclear if Parker will do so, but the overwhelming City Council majority should make the bills veto-proof.
Atlanta: students walk out, hundreds rally
An estimated 100 high schools and colleges in the metro Atlanta area had organized walk-outs within this last week, but especially on Jan. 30. From public and private schools, students with their handmade signs and banners left their classrooms to march and chant and hold rallies on their campuses. For many this was their first public protest; they were motivated by the fear and trauma being experienced by their classmates who belong to immigrant families. When interviewed by the media, many students repeated the same sentiment: that despite whatever retribution school officials threatened, they were firm in their resolve to be in solidarity with those targeted by ICE.
Metro Atlanta, Jan. 30, 2026. (Photo: Atlanta Black Alliance for Peace chapter)
On the evening of Jan. 30, an estimated 500 people gathered during rush hour on the sidewalk of a busy street, Buford Highway, which traverses a diverse immigrant neighborhood. From 5-7 p.m., the sounds of solidarity and anti-ICE chants were amplified by a constant honking of horns by passing cars, trucks and buses. Passengers waved and videotaped the protest. Several vehicles, flying Mexican flags, repeatedly circled the area in an enthusiastic show of support.
A few minutes before 7 p.m., a police vehicle from Brookhaven, a suburb of Atlanta, pulled up in the mall parking lot behind the demonstration. Over a loudspeaker, in English and Spanish, a cop warned the demonstrators to disperse immediately or face “physical force or chemical munitions.” Another 15 minutes later, and after four such warnings, the rally officially ended and the crowd slowly dispersed.
Additional marches and rallies were scheduled for the weekend despite the intensely cold temperatures, rarely experienced in Atlanta.
Cleveland, Jan. 30, 2026. (WW Photo: Susan Schnur)
Thousands of people braved freezing temperatures in Cleveland to answer the call for solidarity with the second general strike in Minneapolis. Rally speakers represented labor, students, religious groups, socialists and small businesses. Chants included “No justice, no peace! We will strike in these streets!” After the rally, protesters marched through downtown.
Workers from Denver Health at anti-ICE protest, Denver, Jan. 30, 2026. (Photo: Viviana Weinstein)
Denver: 500 pack bridge; students protest ICE
Highland Bridge is a mammoth walkway across 10 lanes of highway in central Denver. On Jan. 31, a crowd of 500 people packed the bridge, decorating it with colorful signs calling for the abolition of ICE and an end to attacks on the immigrant community and in opposition to the surge of armed ICE agents in Minneapolis. The chorus of honking horns in approval was deafening.
Denverites are fed up with ICE violence against the communities of Minneapolis and the recent ICE shooting of a 37-year-old nurse, Alex Petti, and a 37-year-old mother, Renee Good.
The Bridge Trolls partnered with Solidarity Warriors, two local groups, to organize this protest. The Bridge Trolls have organized weekly protests on bridges and overpasses in many Colorado communities, from Colorado Springs to Denver and Boulder. Lorrie from the Bridge Trolls and Tiffany from the Solidarity Warriors have organized against ICE and military troops in Colorado cities and in support of due process and the need to “Save Our Parks.”
A variety of organizations were represented on the bridge, including Indivisible, 50501 and Jewish Voice for Peace. A group of local doctors, nurses and other medical workers included many workers from Denver Health, the hospital which cares for poor and largely uninsured local residents.
Protesters reminded people multiple times of the conditions in the detention centers, which have poor food and hygiene and lack medical care and medicines. This has led to the deaths of 40 known incarcerated migrants countrywide.
On Jan. 30, students from many of the Denver high schools walked out, along with their teachers who had called in sick, in coordination and in support of the Minneapolis general strike. Some 4,000-5,000 high school students and many more from the Auraria College campus gathered at LaAlma-Lincoln Park to express their outrage.
Texas: Thousands meet, march, rally, join vigils
Dallas, Jan. 30, 2026. (Photo: Alex Colwell)
On Jan. 30, around 100 Dallas residents gathered on Jefferson and Van Buren streets for a march down Jefferson Boulevard, followed by a meeting at the local Oak Cliff Cultural Center in order to discuss next steps for the movement.
Houston, Feb. 1, 2026. Photo: Caleb Granger
Demonstrations, organizing meetings, rallies and marches have taken place almost every day this past week in Houston. On Jan. 27, during the public comment section of a Houston City Council meeting, dozens and dozens of people signed up to speak. They wanted to pressure Mayor John Whitmire and the City Council to end the Houston Police Department’s cooperation with ICE. But they were cut short when comments were suddenly aborted. The meeting was loud and angry. Then the mayor unexpectedly stopped the meeting, and he and most of the council walked out. A few council members stayed but all sound was shut off.
On Jan. 29, Healthcare Workers for Palestine-Houston held a candlelight vigil for Alex Pretti in Houston’s medical center, the largest in the world. The crowd of nurses and other health care workers kept growing as people got off work at 7 p.m. Speaker after speaker denounced Pretti’s murder, holding candles to honor him.
A medical researcher who spoke to this reporter said she was horrified that a person who helped save lives had his own life taken. She asked, “What is this country coming to when those of us who work to help people with health issues cannot protest the violence harming people?”
On Jan.30, at a mass demonstration outside a Core Civic Detention Center,
hundreds of people were beating drums and chanting “Let them go! Let them go!” Core Civic is one of the largest for-profit prison, jail and detention contractors in the U.S. Its CEO, Damon T. Hininger, made over $7 million last year! The demonstration lasted over three hours in what was cold weather for the Houston area.
In the largest action, over 3,000 people rallied at Ervan Chew Park on Sunday, Feb. 1 and then marched to Herman Park and rallied again. The demands were “Hands Off Our Children!” and “ICE Out of Houston!” The action was organized by Immigrating Youth Texas, a movement committed to “dignity, safety and justice for our displaced youth,” according to its webpage. IYT announced that it is building a foundation for the first youth-led sanctuary in Texas.
The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation held a vigil and fundraiser on Feb. 2, in remembrance of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. The proceeds will go to Minneapolis’s Labor Rapid Response and for legal support for impacted working families.
Seattle: Hospital workers join march of thousands
Seattle, Jan. 31, 2026. (Photo: Jim McMahan)
On Jan. 31, 6,000 to 9,000 workers and anti-racist activists came together in Seattle for a protest against the anti-immigrant worker state violence of ICE.
The rally and march began at Seattle Community College and was led by educators from Seattle and other school districts. A large feeder march of hospital workers came in and boosted the crowd. Immigrants were represented in spite of all the racist terror.
Speakers condemned the violence and terror tactics of ICE locally and spoke in solidarity with the Minneapolis General Strike. It was pointed out that Trump’s deportation regime and his billionaire backers are tiny against the great surge of the working class. It was also stated every one of the over 400 union locals in the state should have an immigrant rights/anti-ICE committee.
After the rally the workers marched on the federal building downtown. Many other actions against ICE terror were held in the metro Seattle area and across the state on this day. Students have held many walkouts against ICE, with more planned in the coming week.
Portland: Student rally to oppose ICE
Oregon, rally of mostly high school students, Jan. 30, 2026. (Eli Imadali / Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Portland, Oregon, students chanted at a rally of mostly high school students who refused to stay in the classroom, protesting the presence of ICE in U.S. cities and the brutal immigration policies and recent murders by ICE agents.
Portland Public Schools (PPS) announced that Jan. 30 would be treated as a normal school day, but school leaders said they respect the rights of students to protest and speak out against ICE as part of the national general strike.
About 28% of Portland’s McDaniel High School’s student body is Latine, and many students were afraid to come to school because of the presence of ICE agents, who have been detaining students on their way to school. Many students know classmates who have family members who have been attacked and deported by ICE.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland Public Schools Superintendent Kimberlee Armstrong wrote to families that recent immigration enforcement actions have caused real harm and deep anxiety in many schools and neighborhoods, and that PPS was committed to supporting and advocating for our immigrant staff, students, and families.
Several local businesses closed in honor of the general strike, and many more businesses that couldn’t afford to close openly supported the strike.
Alex Colwell, Renée Andrea Imperato, Dianne Mathiowetz, Jim McMahan, Lyn Neeley, Joe Piette, Brenda Ryan, Gloria Rubac and Viviana Weinstein contributed to this article.
