Minnesota mobilizes for Jan. 23 anti-ICE blackout protest

Activists in Minnesota are organizing a Jan. 23 economic blackout to protest ICE’s presence, with dozens of businesses joining and some opening as free community spaces while avoiding sales. A downtown Minneapolis march is planned for 2 p.m. CT, and the effort has backing from regional labor unions demanding ICE leave the state and no new federal funding. Local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, emphasize balancing support for workers and small, immigrant-owned businesses amid extreme cold forecasts, while the overall impact on ICE operations remains uncertain and the movement traces its roots to a fatal ICE-related shooting.