Mass “No Work, No School, No Shopping” Strike Called in Minneapolis for Jan. 23 Over ICE Operations
Minneapolis is facing a push for a general strike-style economic shutdown on Friday, January 23, sparked by anger over federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minnesota. Organizers from local labor unions, faith groups and community organizations say they want residents to refuse to work, attend school or shop that day, framing it as a mass protest against what they call an “unprecedented attack” on immigrant and working-class communities.
The call has escalated after widespread demonstrations against ICE’s “Operation Metro Surge,” which intensified following the shooting death of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE agent earlier this month. Community leaders say the ICE presence has disrupted daily life, prompting labor federations and others to mobilize for Jan. 23.
Unions including SEIU Local 26, Communications Workers of America Local 7250, and several educators’ federations — among at least 90 endorsing groups — have publicly backed participation in the economic blackout. Many Twin Cities businesses, including grocery stores and restaurants, announced they will close on Friday in solidarity with the protest.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.
Critics stress that no union has formally voted for an official strike under labor law, meaning the action is a call for mass participation rather than a legally binding strike. Some organizers have nonetheless described it as a de facto general strike to leverage worker and consumer power against the federal operation.
“This is our right to refusal until something changes,” an organizer said at a press event — encapsulating the protest’s central message.
The broader implications are uncertain: if significant participation occurs, it could influence future organizing nationwide, but legal and logistical hurdles remain for formal labor strike designation. Findings and participation levels on Jan. 23 will shape next steps.
Follow The Coffman Chronicle on NewsBreak for daily breaking political coverage.