Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Minneapolis as part of nationwide demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action after the fatal shootings of two US citizens by federal agents.
Protests were also held in cities across the US, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington DC, with organisers calling on Americans to stay home from work and school.
The deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti have ignited local protests and caused public outcry across the country, and led to criticism from lawmakers in both parties.
Earlier on Friday, the US Justice Department opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s death.
Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was the second Minneapolis resident shot and killed by federal immigration officials since their arrival in the state. The first, Renee Good, was killed by an Immigration and Customs Border Enforcement (ICE) agent on 7 January.
Organisers of the protest, called the National Shutdown, called for “no work. No school. No shopping” on 30 January and to “stop funding ICE”.
According to the group’s website, the action was in protest at the deaths of Pretti and Good, as well as others killed by ICE including Silverio Villegas-Gonzales, who was shot by an ICE agent in September 2025.
Protesters formed the letters “SOS” on top of a frozen lake in south Minneapolis, while one group marched through the streets carrying a large-scale replica of the Preamble to the US constitution.
Singer Bruce Springsteen also performed a newly released song in honour of Pretti and Good entitled Streets of Minneapolis, at a concert in the city.
On Thursday Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan suggested the Trump administration could “draw down” federal forces in the state if local officials cooperate.
“We are not surrendering our mission at all. We’re just doing it smarter,” Homan said during a news conference.
Homan began leading on-the-ground efforts in the Minnepolis after it was announced Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino would be leaving the area.
Speaking on Thursday evening, US President Donald Trump said: “We will keep our country safe, we’ll do whatever we can to keep our country safe.”
About 3,000 federal agents were sent to Minnneapolis at Trump’s directive.
The DHS has said it is arresting the “worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens” in an effort to restore public safety in Minnesota, but critics argue migrants with clean records and US citizens are being caught up in the campaign.
Dubbed Operation Metro Surge, the immigration enforcement initiative has sparked outcry from residents in Minneapolis, St Paul and other cities in the state.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have called for a withdrawal of federal agents from Minneapolis.
by BBC NEWS
