Thousands Protest Immigration Raids in Freezing Minneapolis

International Desk: PNN

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, thousands of people braved extreme cold to protest the Trump administration’s strict immigration raids and demand the cessation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations on Friday.

The temperature fell to minus 29 degrees Celsius on the day of the protest. Organizers claimed about 50,000 people participated in the march, although this number has not been independently verified. Later, many protesters gathered at the Target Center in Minneapolis, which has a capacity of about 20,000.

Organizers and participants described the event as part of the “ICE Out” campaign, with many businesses closed across Minnesota during the day, essentially acting as a general strike. In recent weeks, confrontations between ICE officers and protesters have escalated multiple times.

A local journalist reported that, despite the extreme cold, people stayed off shops and took to the streets to send a clear message to ICE: leave Minnesota.

The day before, U.S. Vice President JD Vance visited Minneapolis, expressing support for ICE officers and urging local leaders to calm tensions.

The protest also included a special program at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, where religious leaders knelt in prayer and sang hymns on the street. About 100 clergy were arrested by police for disobeying instructions, though they were taken into buses without resistance.

Organizers demanded legal action against the ICE officer involved in the killing of U.S. citizen Rene Good earlier this month. They also called for the withdrawal of 3,000 federal law enforcement personnel deployed in Minnesota. The civic group “Faith in Minnesota” claimed some airport and airline staff were also detained, criticizing the silent role of airlines and calling for an end to ICE raids.

Trump assumed office in 2024 with a promise to strictly enforce immigration laws. Analysts note that aggressive federal actions in Democrat-led states have further deepened political divisions in the U.S. Large corporations based in Minnesota have not publicly commented on the matter.