Thousands Rally in Minneapolis Against Trump’s Immigration Blitz
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis and other U.S. cities on Friday to voice opposition against the Trump administration’s hardline immigration tactics. The demonstrations follow federal raids in the Twin Cities that targeted undocumented immigrants under “Operation Metro Surge.”
Approximately 3,000 federal agents were deployed to Minneapolis for the operation, outnumbering local police fivefold. The raids have sparked nationwide outrage, especially after the deaths of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the hands of federal agents. Protesters called for an end to the raids, reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and in some cases, impeachment of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
The protests included a benefit concert featuring rock star Bruce Springsteen, who performed his new single “Streets of Minneapolis” in solidarity with demonstrators. The rallies were part of a nationwide event dubbed the “National Shutdown,” which encouraged a day without school, work, or shopping.
Demonstrations were reported in multiple states, including Los Angeles, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Maine, with students walking out of schools in protest.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice has launched a civil rights investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, by Border Patrol agents. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that the DOJ is reviewing all circumstances surrounding the incident.
The U.S. Senate recently passed a stopgap funding measure to keep most of the federal government operational through the end of September, though funding for the Department of Homeland Security—responsible for ICE and Border Patrol—was approved for only two more weeks. The temporary measure provides legislators time to discuss possible ICE reforms, including limits on patrol practices and face mask bans for agents.
The militarization of federal immigration enforcement and multiple incidents of civilian deaths have intensified calls from lawmakers and advocacy groups to reform or even abolish ICE, which was established in 2003.
