Minneapolis: Thousands of people gathered to protest against 'ICE' in Minnesota and across the United States. Thousands of protesters gathered on the streets of Minneapolis as students across the United States staged a school strike on Friday to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration officers from Minnesota following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens.
According to Thai News Agency, students and faculty groups from California to New York staged school strikes to participate in a national day of protests, amid conflicting reports from President Donald Trump's administration regarding whether Operation Metro Surge would be scaled back. Under a national crackdown on immigrants, President Trump deployed 3,000 federal officers to Minneapolis to patrol the streets in full tactical gear-five times the number of Minneapolis police officers.
Thousands gathered in downtown Minneapolis in sub-freezing temperatures to protest the increased troop deployment and operational methods of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protesters included families with young children, elderly couples, and young activists. In a neighborhood of Minneapolis near the site where Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two U.S. citizens, were fatally shot by federal immigration officers earlier this month, approximately 50 local school teachers and staff joined the march.
In addition, famous rock artist Bruce Springsteen supported the protest by performing at a fundraising event for the families of Pretti and Good in downtown Minneapolis, playing his new song "Streets of Minneapolis." The protests have spread beyond Minnesota, with organizers anticipating up to 250 rallies in 46 states, including major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, under slogans emphasizing strikes, school boycotts, and consumer spending to demand a halt to funding for the ICE (Independence Organization).
Conversely, President Trump expressed confidence in Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose agency oversees ITEM, despite criticism and calls for her resignation. The president stated via social media that Noem was performing her duties excellently.