Photo: Omer Messinger / Getty Images News / Getty Images
Activists are calling for a nationwide shutdown on Friday (January 30), urging people to stay home from work and school and avoid shopping in protest of federal immigration enforcement and the recent killings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis.
The action follows the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, both killed during encounters with federal immigration agents earlier this month. Organizers say the deaths have sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to the campaign’s website, participants are being asked to observe “no work, no school, no shopping” for the day as a way to disrupt business as usual and demand accountability. Calls for participation have spread across social media and community forums, with organizers framing the shutdown as a response to what they describe as unchecked federal power.
Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse and union member, was shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis. The Department of Homeland Security has said agents fired in self-defense, while local officials, Pretti’s family, and video of the incident dispute claims that he posed a lethal threat.
Earlier this month, Good, also 37, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in the city’s Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, prompting days of protests and national attention.
Labor leaders have also spoken out. Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said union members were “heartbroken and outraged” by Pretti’s death, calling it a reflection of broader harm caused by aggressive enforcement tactics.
The Trump administration has defended ICE’s actions. President Donald Trump said his administration was “reviewing everything” related to Pretti’s death, adding, “I don’t like any shooting.” DHS officials have also said assaults against ICE officers have increased and that enforcement operations will continue.
White House officials say multiple federal agencies are reviewing the Minneapolis shootings. Organizers say the January 30 shutdown will move forward as planned, urging people nationwide to take part.
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