Minnesota’s Friday Plans: an Economic Blackout
People march and gather near the post office during a protest, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Minnesotans are being encouraged to avoid spending money, stay home from work, and keep children out of school on Friday as part of a protest against a large-scale federal immigration enforcement operation in the state. Labor unions, community organizations, and faith leaders are calling the action an “economic blackout,” according to the Guardian, to oppose what they say is an unprecedented presence of federal immigration agents and to honor the memory of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot and killed earlier this month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.
The Trump administration has deployed approximately 3,000 federal agents to Minnesota, describing the effort as its largest enforcement push to date. More than 2,400 people have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks.
“This is an outrageous acceleration and escalation of violence toward working-class people,” said Kieran Knutson, president of Communications Workers of America Local 7250. His union is among several supporting the protest, along with Unite Here Local 17 and multiple educators’ unions in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Organizers say union members have been detained while commuting, families have been separated, and some parents are keeping their children home from school out of fear.
In addition to the economic blackout, organizers have planned a march and rally in downtown Minneapolis at 2 p.m. They hope the action will prompt Minnesota-based corporations such as Target, Best Buy, UnitedHealth Group, and General Mills to publicly address the situation.
While Minnesota has filed a lawsuit seeking to end the enforcement operation, labor leaders say major employers have not spoken out. “The employer class remains silent,” said Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security criticized those supporting the protest, accusing them of attempting to “shut down Minnesota’s economy” in defense of serious criminals. DHS also reiterated its claim that Good used her vehicle as a weapon prior to being shot, an account that has been disputed by witnesses and questioned based on available video evidence.
The protest comes as the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of labor unions representing roughly 15 million workers, has warned that ICE enforcement actions are “putting innocent working people in danger,” according to Business Insider.
About Post Author
You must be logged in to post a comment.