In Minnesota, community leaders, faith groups, and labor unions joined together for a truly inspiring protest—the “Day of Truth & Freedom.” They were inspired to act after the tragic killing of Nicole Macklin Good. An unarmed woman, Macklin Good, was recently killed while peacefully walking in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer. The protest aimed to highlight growing concerns regarding the surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions in the state.
The protest called for a “no work, no school, no shopping” blackout day, encouraging residents to refrain from their daily activities in solidarity. Maneuvering past opposition, dozens of local businesses announced their own closures in support of the movement, showing deep and broad community support. One childcare worker in Minneapolis took the courageous step of closing her center for the day. Through all this, they felt the love and appreciation flowing back at them from children’s families.
At 2 PM local time, participants marched through downtown Minneapolis, despite forecasted temperatures plunging to -10°F with wind chills reaching -20°F. Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minnesota Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, acknowledged the severe weather conditions leading up to the protest.
“We are going to be having dangerously cold weather on Friday – -10F with wind chills. Like the high is going to be -10F with wind chills of up to -20F,” – Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minnesota Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.
The protest received incredible support from families. Hundreds replied to our call-in message that they would join us in fighting to stop ICE’s attacks. Yet, schools and families went along with shutting these sites down even as they struggled with disruptions themselves, as this childcare worker illustrated.
“We had time to ask the families that we serve if they would be on board with shutting down and we got a hugely positive response,” – Childcare worker in Minneapolis.
Additionally, Kieran Knutson, president of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7250 in Minneapolis, highlighted the solidarity from various community sectors. The mood was largely one of defiance to what most see as hostile and unconstitutional immigration enforcement tactics.
The recent Trump administration deployment of 3,000 immigration officers to Minnesota, among other places, has increased fear and danger in communities where these tactics are used. In response to these events, the U.S. Army put 1,500 active duty soldiers on alert to be deployed within the state.
In the midst of these protests, an anonymous spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denounced the union leaders. They attacked the immigrant rights leaders for opposing ICE’s presence.
“This is beyond insane. Why would these labor bosses not want these public safety threats out of their communities?” – DHS spokesperson.
The protest represents a larger movement within Minnesota and across the nation, where communities are increasingly vocal about their opposition to federal immigration policies and actions perceived as unjust.