Minneapolis at boiling point amid Donald Trump's ICE crackdown

Fri, 23 Jan, 2026 - 21:00

Sean Murray

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Minneapolis in the US state of Minnesota on Friday, as public fury boiled over in freezing temperatures amid US president Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Braving temperatures as low as –25C, protesters marched through downtown as unions, church leaders, and local politicians backed calls for a general strike while nearby businesses shut their doors in solidarity.

Since the beginning of December, tens of thousands of agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agencyhave descended on the liberal and traditionally-Democrat voting state.

The activities of thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who arrived in Minneapolis since last month have drawn widespread protests. Picture: Angelina Katsanis/AP

As well as the fatal shooting of mother-of-three Renee Good in early January, the last eight weeks have seen people pulled from cars, arrested at workplaces; and schools shut as local communities say ICE is engaging in racial profiling and arresting many people who have legal status to live and work in America.

“Half of our staff just can’t come to work because they’re immigrants and they don’t feel safe,” Jane Graupman, the executive director of the International Institute of Minnesota, said.

“I just had a conversation with one of our staff who did come to work today and she’s an immigrant from Europe.

"She’s sobbing. She’s terrified. And so are her kids.

“The few of us in the office are mostly white staff as we have less challenge from ICE.”

This organisation and others who spoke to the Irish Examiner said phones are ringing off the hook from concerned immigrants who have had loved ones taken by ICE, despite being engaged in the legal process to gain a Green Card or US citizenship.

Five-year-old 'used as bait'

Public anger deepened this week after photos emerged of ICE detaining a five-year-old boy, Liam Ramos.

ICE agents' detention of Liam Ramos, 5, as he arrived home from preschool on Tuesday has sparked nationwide outrage in the US. Picture: Ali Daniels

His school said an agent had taken Liam out of the car, led the boy to his front door, and directed him to knock on the door asking to be let in, “in order to see if anyone else was home — essentially using a five-year-old as bait”.

Vice president JD Vance defended the ICE actions, while the Trump administration claimed the father of the boy had run away.

On Saturday in the Irish Examiner, print and online, you can read Sean Murray's feature from Minneapolis, It feels like people have each other's backs, in which he talks to people including Irish-Americans about the ICE crackdown and resistance to it

Advocates said this is just the tip of the iceberg of what agents have been doing in Minnesota.

“We come to work on Monday morning and we have a refugee family outside our door,” Ms Graupman added.

“They’re in tears, a mother and a father, they were home getting ready for work on Monday morning, and ICE agents surrounded their house with their assault rifles drawn on this family.

“They opened the door, and their son was taken. He’s 21. We’re hearing so many stories like that. It’s terrifying.”