Minnesotans close businesses in general strike to protest immigration officers

Scores of Minnesota businesses closed and hundreds protested in a day of action called "ICE Out!" against a federal deployment of immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis; organizers said dozens were arrested.

Scores of businesses across Minnesota closed for a day of protest and workers joined marches in Minneapolis on Friday. Organizers and clergy described the action as a general strike called "ICE Out!" opposing a federal surge of immigration enforcement officers in Minneapolis. Hundreds of people gathered at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul airport and in the city, and organizers said local officers arrested dozens of protesters. The article reports that several major Minnesota-based companies declined to comment on the enforcement activity. Key facts: - Organizers said scores of bars, restaurants and shops shuttered for the day in solidarity with the protests. - Clergy members and labor unions helped lead the day of action; organizers reported about 100 clergy were arrested. - Hundreds of residents gathered at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport to protest flights of detained migrants and to seek accountability for a recent fatal shooting by an ICE agent. - Local police arrested dozens of protesters, and the Trump administration said some demonstrators had obstructed officers while senior officials visited Minneapolis to defend ICE. - The article mentions that several Minnesota-based Fortune 500 companies did not issue public statements about the enforcement activity. Summary: The events represent an organized, statewide response that combined business closures and mass demonstrations against the federal enforcement surge in Minneapolis. Undetermined at this time.