Minnesota workers launch statewide strike demanding ICE withdraw from the state

MINNESOTA – Thousands of people are expected to participate in a massive statewide economic strike Friday as organizers push for the end of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota.

The event, dubbed the “Day of Truth and Freedom,” is being organized by a coalition of labor unions, religious leaders, and community activists. Organizers are calling on residents to stay home from work and school and to refrain from shopping to protest an increase in federal immigration enforcement activities.

The Minnesota AFL-CIO, which represents more than 1,000 local unions, voted to support the strike. President Bernie Burnham accused ICE of “indiscriminately targeting Minnesotans of color” and instilling fear in the community's daily lives.

Key demands from strike organizers include the removal of ICE from the state and the elimination of further funding for the agency. They are also seeking legal accountability in the Jan. 7 fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by ICE agents.

Numerous businesses, restaurants, and shops across the state have announced plans to close Friday in a show of solidarity with the movement.

The strike in Minnesota serves as a potent case study in the escalating friction between local constituencies and federal immigration mandates—a hallmark of the increasingly polarized American political landscape. The mobilization is notable for the sheer breadth of its coalition; by aligning the AFL-CIO with faith-based organizations and small business owners, the movement has successfully transcended traditional advocacy silos. This expansion suggests that discontent with federal enforcement has shifted from the activist periphery into the economic and social bedrock of the region.

Strategically, the deployment of an "economic strike" marks a calculated effort to quantify the fiscal contributions of the immigrant workforce. By orchestrating a deliberate pause in commercial activity, organizers are reframing the immigration debate. The message is clear: policy outcomes are not merely matters of humanitarian concern or legal compliance, but are inextricably linked to the macroeconomic health of the community. The high level of participation among local cooperatives, restaurants, and service providers indicates a deepening consensus within the business community that federal enforcement priorities are increasingly at odds with local economic interests.

Ultimately, the unrest highlights the widening jurisdictional rift between federal authority and state autonomy. The demand for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to "leave the state" represents a direct challenge to the supremacy of federal law enforcement. This strike functions as both a stress test for the limits of federal power and a stark indicator of the erosion of trust in national institutions. It signals that in the absence of comprehensive federal reform, the battleground over immigration policy will continue to shift toward subnational resistance and localized economic leverage.

While the strike in Minnesota may not have explicitly named the Vietnamese-American community, the underlying issues resonate deeply within our diaspora. ICE enforcement actions remain a constant source of anxiety for families navigating the complexities of the immigration system—from those awaiting F2B family preference visas to those on H-1B work permits. These concerns hit home for the small business owners who form the backbone of our Little Saigons; for the entrepreneurs running nail salons and phở restaurants, the threat of family separation or business disruption due to raids is a persistent reality. In this context, the solidarity shown by Minnesota’s unions and non-immigrant businesses serves as an inspiring blueprint. It demonstrates the power of building broad coalitions to protect the rights of all residents, regardless of status, and proves that collective economic influence can be a formidable tool for driving grassroots political change.