On January 23, 2026, the 2026 Minnesota general strike took place in opposition to Operation Metro Surge and in protest of the lack of investigation or prosecution of ICE agents involved in the Killing of Renée Good on January 7, 2026. Despite the strike, the Federal Government did not meet the demands of the strikers and protesters. The following day, January 24, 2026, Alex Pretti was killed after being shot multiple times by Customs and Border Protection Agents.[13][14]
On January 26, 2026, University of Minnesota Student Unions called for a second general strike on January 30, 2026.[15][16] This was in response to the killing of Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026, and the general strike in Minneapolis.[17] On January 27, 2026, it was announced the event would be called the 'National Shutdown'.[5] The organizing coalition comprises the UMN Graduate Labor Union, AFSCME Local 3800, the Black Student Union, and the University of Minnesota's Student Government, among others. The organizers stated their demands are as follows:
The immediate withdrawal of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, from Minnesota.
Criminal prosecution and legal accountability for officers involved in the deaths of Good and Pretti.
An end to what organizers describe as institutional neutrality, with expanded protections for international and immigrant students within the university system.[4]
The organizers also demanded for ICE be abolished.[18]
The strike
The strike itself largely failed to materialize, though some protests were held.[19]
Responses
On January 30, on the same day the general strike was to occur, Deputy Attorney GeneralTodd Blanche announced that there would be a federal civil rights investigation into the killing of Pretti, and the DHS announced that the FBI would lead the investigation.[20][21] Blanche refused to also lead an investigation regarding the killing of Renée Good.[22]
Members of the Federal government, namely Donald Trump[23] and Stephen Miller, have stated there will be no de-escalation or change in policy. Steven Bannon has responded by saying “You don’t need to bring down the temperature; raise the temperature!”[24]
Protests in Eugene, Oregon were declared a riot and the local police force deployed tear gas at the protesters. Police officials claimed that protesters had illegally entered the Police Department building, though there is no known evidence of this.[25]
On January 31, a coalition including the 50501 movement and the Women's March organized over 300 "ICE Out of Everywhere" protests as a follow-up action to the January 30th "National Shutdown." [26] CNN described "massive crowds of protestors [...] marching across the nation," and organizers claimed that around 50,000 people joined the demonstration in Minneapolis. [27][28][29]
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