January 31 2026, 08:15 
Today, activists across the U.S. are aiming to take Minnesota’s recent general strike in protest of the Trump administration’s brutal enforcement of its immigration policies nationwide, calling on Americans to stay home from work and school and to refrain from buying anything.
“Every day, ICE, Border Patrol, and other enforcers of
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According to Fast Company, businesses across the country — including in Portland, Maine; Denver, Rochester, New York; Omaha, Nebraska; Las Vegas; and Los Angeles — have said they will be closed today in support of the strike. Local NBC affiliate 9News reports that multiple school districts in Colorado are canceling classes due to teacher and student participation in the strike. And while it remains to be seen how widespread the national shutdown will be, this is likely only the tip of the iceberg.
As The Advocate notes, celebrities — including Ariana Grande, Mark Ruffalo, Jenna Ortega, Jamie Lee Curtis, Pedro Pascal, Hannah Einbinder, and Edward Norton — have all used their platforms to amplify calls for today’s national strike.
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“I think what they’re doing in Minnesota with the strike needs to expand,” Norton told the Los Angeles Times this week. “I think we should be talking about a national general economic strike until this is over.”
As Norton noted, calls for a national economic blackout follow a statewide strike in Minnesota last Friday. The Minnesota Star Tribune estimated that 700 restaurants, shops, museums, and entertainment venues across the state closed in solidarity with the January 23 strike and protests, which saw some 50,000 Minnesotans taking to the streets in subzero temperatures.
The National Shutdown effort is being organized by a decentralized coalition of organizations and has been endorsed by 50501, CodePink, Defend Immigrant Families Campaign, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign, North Texas Area Labor Federation, the LA Tenants Union, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and others.
Student groups at the University of Minnesota have been at the center of the shutdown efforts as well. Nonviolent economic pressure, they say, will be key to holding federal agents and the administration accountable for their reign of terror in Minneapolis and other major U.S. cities, which have already led to the deaths of at least eight people, including Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“We are calling for this strike because we believe what we have been doing in Minnesota should go national,” Kidus Yeshidagna, president of the Ethiopian Students Union at the University of Minnesota, told The Guardian. “We need more people and lawmakers across the country to wake up.”
What you can do
Apart from National Shutdown’s call for “no school, no work and no shopping,” today, activists are urging people to take action, participating in protests and demonstrations across the country.
Earlier this month, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine published an exhaustive list of mutual aid organizations you can donate to, including rent funds and food assistance for families who have been affected by ICE raids or have been forced to remain home for weeks for fear of being detained by federal agents.
From their list:
Trainings and Know-Your-Rights Info
Thousands of people have either already completed or signed up for the Monarca network’s legal observer trainings—they fill to capacity quickly, but keep an eye on the website, as new ones are often added. Some of the resources (like signage that were previously available on their website, are no longer accessible, though they still have their rapid response line (612-441-2881).
Unidos MN has a thorough “know your rights” resource walking through a number of situations, i.e. if ICE shows up at your home or workplace, if you’re detained by the police, what documents to carry, etc.
The Star Tribune has compiled a great resource detailing what, exactly, ICE agents can and can’t do, and what rights legal observers have during encounters.
Local writer Naomi Kritzer has an excellent guide with lots of detailed information on how to get trained, get connected, and do community defense in safe and smart ways.
If You or Your Loved Ones Are Affected by ICE Activity
The State of Minnesota has a very thorough webpage with various resources, from know-your-rights information to legal aid and health care information. If you’re looking for a broad range of services and legal information, head there.
If you are trying to find someone who has been detained by ICE, here’s a link to the Online Detainee Locator System.
Neighborhood House in St. Paul’s West Side neighborhood, just across the way from El Burrito Mercado, offers a range of services: two food shelves, family service centers, housing stability, and more.
Leo’s Tow is helping to return the abandoned vehicles of people who have been taken by ICE to their families, reach out via Facebook or at 651-703-4914 for help.
Sahan Journal has a great resource on how to avoid ICE entanglements while seeking healthcafe.
The magazine also has information about rent support organizations that could use financial help, as well as food deliveries for people who can’t go out because of ICE agents even arresting people who have a right to be in the U.S. if they are people of color, and other immigrant rights groups.
But even if you’re unable to strike today due to economic circumstances or lack of childcare, you can still help. On Thursday, Durham, North Carolina, small business Bright Black posted a list of ways, including canceling subscriptions to companies that support ICE and the Trump administration, contacting lawmakers to demand they defund or abolish ICE, amplifying the call for the strike, and supporting those who are striking — including businesses that closed today.
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