People attend a protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the United States on Jan. 23, 2026. Protesters took to the streets on Friday, blocking airport roads, shutting down hundreds of businesses and staging what organizers described as one of the largest demonstrations in Minnesota's history to demand the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protests come after a fatal shooting that ignited the city. On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed local resident Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen, during an immigration enforcement operation. (Xinhua)

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Despite freezing temperatures of minus 24 degrees Celsius, about 15,000 protesters took to the streets on Friday, blocking airport roads, shutting down hundreds of businesses and staging what organizers described as one of the largest demonstrations in Minnesota's history to demand the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

"Today is the coldest day of the entire year in Minnesota," Amal Ahmed, 30, told NBC News after leaving work at City Hall to join the march. "That has to say something. I've never seen anything like this."

The statewide action, called "ICE Out of Minnesota: A Day of Truth and Freedom," brought together labor unions, faith leaders, educators and medical workers. More than 700 businesses closed their doors in solidarity, according to organizers.

The National Weather Service had warned that exposed skin could freeze in half an hour, yet the downtown march against ICE proceeded as planned.

The protests come after a fatal shooting that ignited the city. On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed local resident Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen, during an immigration enforcement operation. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner ruled Good's death a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds.

Since December, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has deployed thousands of federal officers to Minneapolis in what it calls Operation Metro Surge. Multiple news outlets reported that the operation has involved more than 3,000 federal personnel and resulted in more than 3,000 arrests over approximately six weeks, citing DHS officials.

Friday's mass protest began at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, where faith leaders gathered in the predawn cold with hundreds of striking airport workers. They sang hymns, prayed and blocked roads near Terminal 1.

By local time 2 p.m. (2200 GMT), the action shifted downtown. Thousands of protesters marched through the city toward Target Center arena. Organizers handed out hand warmers. Protesters carried signs and chanted. Placards saying "ICE Out Now" waved in the frigid air.

Labor unions played a central role in organizing the demonstrations. Union leaders said the operation had already led to the detention of more than 20 union members and warned of broader impacts on workers and communities.

The protests also reflected deep anxiety across Minnesota communities which the organizers said had been besieged by ICE for weeks. A resident physician named Avalon told FOX 9 that ICE's occupation has created unsustainable working conditions for doctors and health care workers. "Our patients are terrified to come into our clinic and come into our hospitals," Avalon said.

Young Somali Americans described living in constant fear. Abdi Hassan, 19, who has lived in the United States since age two, told NBC News he now carries identification everywhere. "I might just be snatched up for no reason," he said. "It's been scary lately. It's terrifying."

The Minneapolis action drew participants from across America as solidarity protests occurred in New York, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Seattle on Friday.

Meanwhile, Minnesota state and federal authorities remained sharply divided. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told CNN, "This is not about safety. It's not even about immigration. What we are seeing right now is that this is political retribution."

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who filed a lawsuit seeking to end Operation Metro Surge, stated in a news release, "The unlawful deployment of thousands of armed, masked and poorly trained federal agents is hurting Minnesota. People are being racially profiled, harassed, terrorized and assaulted."

Federal officials defended their actions. Border Patrol Commander at Large Greg Bovino stated at a Friday news conference, "Everything we do is legal, ethical and moral."

A federal judge on Friday ordered the release of a two-year-old child from Ecuador detained during a traffic stop, and a hearing on the state's lawsuit is scheduled for Monday.

Organizers and local media compared the scale of the protest to the 1934 Truckers' Strike, one of the most significant labor mobilizations in state history. ■

People attend a protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the United States on Jan. 23, 2026. Protesters took to the streets on Friday, blocking airport roads, shutting down hundreds of businesses and staging what organizers described as one of the largest demonstrations in Minnesota's history to demand the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The protests come after a fatal shooting that ignited the city. On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed local resident Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen, during an immigration enforcement operation. (Xinhua)

People attend a protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the United States on Jan. 23, 2026. Protesters took to the streets on Friday, blocking airport roads, shutting down hundreds of businesses and staging what organizers described as one of the largest demonstrations in Minnesota's history to demand the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The protests come after a fatal shooting that ignited the city. On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed local resident Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen, during an immigration enforcement operation. (Xinhua)

People attend a protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the United States on Jan. 23, 2026. Protesters took to the streets on Friday, blocking airport roads, shutting down hundreds of businesses and staging what organizers described as one of the largest demonstrations in Minnesota's history to demand the removal of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The protests come after a fatal shooting that ignited the city. On Jan. 7, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed local resident Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother and U.S. citizen, during an immigration enforcement operation. (Xinhua)