Lead
On January 23, 2026, community groups in Minnesota announced a planned statewide “economic blackout” and a series of protests in response to a new, intensified deployment of ICE and other federal immigration officers. Organizers urged businesses to close, schools and workplaces to stay home, and residents to march or rally in Minneapolis despite extreme cold and wind chills below -20°F. The mobilization follows a string of high-profile detentions — including a Minneapolis-area father and his 5-year-old son — and confrontations at a St. Paul church that led to multiple arrests. Tensions have spread beyond Minnesota to operations in Maine and triggered federal budget and policy scrutiny.
Key Takeaways
- Protest action: Hundreds of Minnesota businesses planned to close for a coordinated strike and rally on January 23, 2026, under the slogan “ICE out of Minnesota.”
- Child detained: A 5-year-old, identified in reporting as Liam Conejo Ramos, and his father were detained by federal agents outside their Minneapolis-area home and are being held together in Texas; the child’s mother is pregnant and remains in Minneapolis.
- Church incident and arrests: Three people were arrested after interrupting a church service in St. Paul to denounce federal immigration activity; officials say more arrests are possible.
- Federal presence: Tactical federal officers have been deployed around the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in the Twin Cities amid protests and local unrest.
- Maine operation: ICE’s so-called “Operation Catch of the Day” led to more than 100 arrests in Maine; DHS says the broader effort targets roughly 1,400 people nationwide.
- Federal budget review: The White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requested spending data from most federal agencies as part of a review of funds sent to several Democratic-led states; the memo described the request as a data-gathering exercise, not a withholding of funds.
- International concern: UN human rights officials urged the U.S. to protect due process and family unity, and called for independent review of detention-related deaths in ICE custody.
Background
The current surge of federal immigration enforcement reflects a deliberate escalation by the Trump administration to increase arrests and removals in jurisdictions it describes as insufficiently cooperative. Federal authorities have said operations aim to apprehend people with criminal records or outstanding immigration orders; advocates and some local officials say the tactics have broadened and intensified encounters with immigrant communities. In Minnesota, the deployments come amid heightened local scrutiny after separate incidents, including the fatal shooting of Renee Good, raised questions about federal tactics and oversight.
Minnesota officials — including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey — have publicly sparred with the federal government over both the necessity and the conduct of the operations. Federal agencies have in some cases accused local officials of withholding information; state corrections officials have pushed back, saying they had notified DHS about detained individuals in state custody. At the same time, faith leaders, unions and community groups have organized strikes and rallies, citing family separation and aggressive entry tactics reported in videos circulating online.
Main Event
On January 23, protest organizers confronted both the practical challenge of severe winter weather and the larger political moment. UNIDOS Minnesota and allied groups encouraged marches and a boycott of commerce in downtown Minneapolis, while moving an outdoor march’s endpoint to an indoor rally at Target Center because of dangerously low wind chills. Organizers also urged volunteers to serve as legal observers and to document enforcement activity.
Federal agents executed multiple operations in the Twin Cities area, including a high-profile entry in St. Paul that video shows resulted in a US citizen, ChongLy “Scott” Thao, being removed from his home in his underwear; DHS said agents were searching for convicted sex offenders, while the Minnesota Department of Corrections commissioner, Paul Schnell, said at least one alleged target was already in state custody. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons said more arrests could follow the church disruption.
Separately, a Minneapolis-area father and his 5-year-old son were detained after federal agents approached the family outside their home; the family’s attorney says they were pursuing asylum and not attempting to evade authorities. The father and son were reported to be held together at a Texas facility while the boy’s pregnant mother remained in Minneapolis. The case became a focal point for critics who said the administration’s removal operations are separating and traumatizing families.
Outside Minnesota, ICE’s intensified operations have produced notable activity in Maine, where authorities said more than 100 people were arrested under a campaign named locally as “Operation Catch of the Day.” DHS officials indicated the broader target list numbers roughly 1,400 people across states included in the enforcement sweep.
Analysis & Implications
Politically, the enforcement surge has amplified polarization between the federal administration and Democratic-led states. The OMB’s broad request for agency spending data — framed publicly as a non-withholding data-gathering step — signals heightened executive scrutiny of federal transfers to jurisdictions that have criticized or resisted federal immigration priorities. Legal scholars say such tactics can produce chilling effects in state-federal cooperation and create additional litigation risk if funding actions are perceived as punitive.
Operationally, granting ICE broader authority to enter homes without a judge-signed warrant, as reported by news organizations referencing a new memo, could increase confrontations and raise Fourth Amendment concerns. Civil-rights groups and some local leaders warn that expanded entry powers, coupled with aggressive arrest tactics, will erode trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, making it harder to report crimes and to pursue cooperation on public-safety priorities.
Humanitarian implications are immediate: detentions that include young children, pregnant partners left behind, and reports of defendants taken in cold weather have intensified calls for careful case-by-case review and for oversight of detention conditions. International scrutiny, such as statements from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, increases reputational pressure and could prompt inquiries or calls for independent investigations.
Economically, localized strikes and business closures — even for a day — can produce measurable short-term impacts on retail and hospitality sectors in downtown Minneapolis and surrounding neighborhoods. If the protests expand or recur, some businesses may reevaluate operations or security arrangements, and municipal revenues tied to commerce could see short-term dips.
Comparison & Data
| Category | Reported Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DHS nationwide targets | ~1,400 | Department of Homeland Security (reported) |
| Arrests in Maine | 100+ | Local reporting / ICE |
| Children publicly reported detained (case cited) | 1 (5-year-old) | CNN reporting |
The table summarizes figures reported in contemporaneous coverage: DHS-released target totals (about 1,400), law-enforcement tallies from Maine (more than 100 arrests), and the cited family detention involving a 5-year-old. These numbers represent the snapshot of public reporting as of January 23, 2026; individual-case totals and target lists may change as operations and reviews proceed.
Reactions & Quotes
“We will walk in below-zero degrees in one of the coldest days in Minnesota.”
Emilia González Avalos, UNIDOS Minnesota (organizer)
González Avalos framed the strike and march as both a moral and strategic act to protest federal removals, emphasizing community resilience despite severe weather.
“Individuals are being surveilled and detained, sometimes violently … often solely on mere suspicion of being undocumented migrants.”
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (official statement)
Türk’s statement urged the U.S. to safeguard due process and family unity and called for independent inquiry into detention-related deaths — language that internationalizes concerns over enforcement practices.
“They should know, because we did notify them that they were in our custody.”
Paul Schnell, Minnesota Department of Corrections (state official)
Schnell’s comment responded directly to DHS claims that certain sex offenders were at large, saying the state had already informed federal authorities of custody status for at least one individual.
Unconfirmed
- DHS claims that both named convicted sex offenders were at large at the time of the St. Paul entry remain contested by state officials and not independently verified in available public records.
- The full scope and identities on the DHS list of ~1,400 targeted individuals have not been publicly disclosed, so case-level accuracy and overlap with state custodial lists are not fully confirmed.
- Allegations that local officials broadly refused cooperation, as cited by some federal officials, are presented as a policy claim and have not been independently corroborated for every operation referenced.
Bottom Line
The January 23, 2026 escalation of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota has combined law-enforcement operations with visible civil resistance: strikes, church protests and public scrutiny. The presence of tactical officers at federal buildings and the detention of a 5-year-old have intensified both local outrage and international attention, complicating an already fraught state-federal relationship over public safety and immigration policy.
In the near term, expect sustained legal and political contestation — from OMB data reviews and possible funding disputes to calls for independent investigations by human-rights bodies. Practically, community trust in policing and public-safety cooperation may erode further unless transparent reviews and clearer coordination mechanisms are established.
Sources
- CNN — Live reporting (news)
- Associated Press — coverage including reporting on ICE memos and operations (news)
- Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights — official statements (international organization)
- Office of Management and Budget — agency documents and memos (federal agency)
- Minnesota Department of Corrections — state corrections statements (state government)