The windchill hit -20°F this morning in Minneapolis. The kind of cold that freezes the moisture from your breath against your mask and scarf within minutes. The kind of cold where toes go numb inside boots despite multiple layers of socks. The kind of cold that makes Minnesotans—hardy as we are—think twice before leaving the house.
40,000 people showed up anyway.
They came to the Commons in downtown Minneapolis for the "Day of Truth and Freedom" protest, organized by a coalition of over 100 groups, including labor unions, faith organizations, immigrant rights advocates, and neighborhood associations. Three demands united them: ICE must leave Minnesota, federal agents must be held accountable for killing Renee Nicole Good, and Congress must deny additional federal funding for immigration enforcement operations in the state.
More than 700 businesses across Minnesota closed in solidarity. The Saint Paul Federation of Educators voted to support the Day of Action. People skipped work, pulled children from school, and stayed home from shopping to send one clear message: ICE must leave.
What Brought Them Out
Despite the brutal cold, Hmong protestors held signs reading "Protect Our Children." Somali community members raised flags alongside banners bearing the message "Revolution Time." Union members from SEIU, UNITE HERE, Communications Workers of America, and educators' federations filled the streets. Parents brought their children, teaching them what solidarity looks like in real time. They came for Renee Nicole Good—a 37-year-old mother of three and poet who was shot and killed by an ICE agent on January 7 while observing a raid in her Minneapolis neighborhood. The Department of Homeland Security immediately labeled her a "domestic terrorist" and claimed she tried to run over an agent. Multiple videos contradict that narrative, showing Good's vehicle moving away from agents when she was shot.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, after reviewing video evidence, called the federal account "bullshit" and told ICE to "get the fuck out" of the city.
They came because since January 2025, 35 people have died in ICE custody or during immigration enforcement operations.
They came because federal agents are targeting elementary schools, using food assistance programs to profile and arrest parents. Because a 14-year-old was chased and tackled into the snow by ICE for having an accent. Because 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was detained after preschool. Because 2-year-old Chloe was held with her father in detention.
They came because Operation Metro Surge has deployed approximately 3,000 federal agents to Minneapolis since December, operating with what many see as complete impunity—using chemical weapons banned from military use, blocking Minnesota investigators from crime scenes, and treating the state like occupied territory.
The Scale of Resistance
The march from the Commons to Target Center stretched for blocks. Signs filled the air: "Minnesota Nice, Not ICE." "Our labor, time, participation—it all matters." "ICE Out Now."
Children carried signs they'd made themselves. Grandparents who'd marched in civil rights movements decades earlier showed up again. People of all backgrounds—Black, white, Asian, Latino, Native—stood together in the numbing cold saying: not in our communities.
Earlier that morning, approximately 100 clergy members were arrested at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport during a peaceful protest calling for ICE to leave Minnesota.
The subzero temperatures didn't deter anyone. If anything, they proved a point: Minnesotans know cold. We endure harsh winters every year. And we will endure whatever it takes to protect our neighbors.
Escalating State-Federal Conflict
The protest comes as tensions between Minnesota officials and the Trump administration reach crisis levels. Governor Tim Walz no longer refers to ICE personnel as "law enforcement." This morning, after speaking with the White House, he issued a public demand: "The President must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now."
Hours later, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers responded: "Wisconsin stands with Minnesota." The Trump administration has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act—deploying military forces to Minnesota—if state officials don't work to reduce protests against federal immigration operations.
The response from protest organizers and participants has been clear: the demonstrations will remain peaceful, organized, and persistent until ICE leaves the state.
A Movement Beyond Minnesota
As marchers reached Target Center for an indoor rally, the crowd's determination was evident despite frozen faces and numb extremities. These weren't people making a single appearance before returning to normal life. These were Minnesotans committed to sustained resistance.
Solidarity protests were held simultaneously in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Salt Lake City, demonstrating that opposition to aggressive federal immigration enforcement extends far beyond the Upper Midwest.
The main Minneapolis march remained entirely peaceful throughout. No arrests were reported at the demonstration.
Tonight, as temperatures continue to drop, one thing is clear: federal agents came to Minnesota expecting compliance. Instead, they're facing 40,000 people willing to stand in -20°F windchill to say: our immigrant neighbors deserve protection, not terror. Our children deserve safety, not trauma. Our communities deserve justice, not occupation. ICE thought Minnesota would stay quiet. Minnesota proved them wrong.
