The U.S. is reportedly gearing up for large-scale protests and strikes against ICE on January 30 and 31, 2026. After violent clashes between federal agents and citizens, particularly after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, activist groups have decided that enough is enough.
Protesters, including student groups and grassroots organizations, are calling for ICE’s removal from cities and towns. The groups have announced a ‘National Shutdown’ on January 30 with a view to shutting down the economy.
According to The Guardian, organizers have called for “No work, no school, no shopping” across the country on Friday, January 30, 2026.
When people march in this freezing cold, it’s not a protest.
It’s a revolution.
Minnesota said, “ICE out.” pic.twitter.com/a8DEGky63l
— Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) January 27, 2026
A glimpse of this was seen on January 23, when ‘ICE Out’ protests in Minneapolis caused businesses to close. Just a day after the strike, federal immigration agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti.
The incident added fuel to the fire, with activists wanting to carry out strikes in all 50 states and the capital. On Friday, student-led walkouts are set to kickstart the demonstration.
Groups such as the Graduate Labor Union, the Ethiopian Student Association, the Somali Student Association, the Black Student Union, and the Liberian Student Association are in talks of leading the charge.
The official website for the campaign displays a message that reads, “The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country – to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN. On Friday, January 30, join a nationwide day of no school, no work, and no shopping.”
Organizations like the 50501, which advocates for “50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement,” have planned for a “ICE Out of Everywhere National Day of Action” on January 30.
Protests are going to take place at detention centers, field offices, and against airlines that are transporting detainees. Activists also started a ‘DontServeICE’ movement, encouraging businesses to refuse service to federal agents. They are also pressuring hotels to stop housing officers.
Moreover, 50501 is tracking lawmakers who support and finance the Department of Homeland Security. Organizations have asked Congress to block DHS funding until ICE is dismantled or its policies are significantly altered.
The two-day strike aims to fight for justice for not only Good and Pretti, but also other ICE-linked deaths, including immigrants who have died at detention centers.
Gloriann Sahay, a national coordinator with 50501, has revealed that the group is seeing overwhelming support, even from non-political citizens.
NO BUSINESS AS USUAL —- NATIONAL SHUT DOWN THIS FRIDAY
dont be a scab join the general strike !! pic.twitter.com/BDazxESOvj
— 😼 (@meowmeowmango) January 28, 2026
Sahay said in a statement to The Guardian, “We are responding to people’s outrage. We’ve seen the Overton window shifting. We’re seeing people from typically non-political backgrounds get involved in this conversation and say: ‘This doesn’t feel like America’.”
The protests have also found support from celebrities. Actors like Edward Norton, Pedro Pascal, and Ariana Grande have supported the cause.
Norton said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, “What they’re doing in Minnesota with the strike needs to expand. I think we should be talking about a national general economic strike until this is over.”
Meanwhile, Pascal promoted the strike on his social media by writing, “Pretti Good Reason For A National Strike.”
The protests come at a time when the government has issued new directives to ICE agents. After Trump said that he wanted to de-escalate tensions in Minnesota, Border Patrol agents have been ordered not to engage with “agitators” and only target immigrants with criminal histories.
