Labor unions, faith leaders and community members in Minnesota are urging Minnesotans not to work, shop or go to school Friday as part of an “economic blackout” to combat aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
"What we are living through is an economic violence against all of us," Rodrigo Cardoza, owner of Mercado Central in Minneapolis, told CBS News. "Immigrants are not the problem. We are job creators, partners, community builders.”
More than 400 businesses throughout the region are expected to be closed, according to organizers. Instead of shopping, some residents will participate in a march and rally as well as mourn Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother who was fatally shot by an ICE officer earlier this month.
Outrage toward the immigration operations has only intensified this week after it was revealed that agents detained a five-year-old boy earlier this week.
The Department of Homeland Security disputed the narrative about the boy, claiming he was “abandoned” by his father and mother after being approached by immigration officers. A spokesperson for DHS claimed agents brought the boy to McDonald’s and played his favorite music while taking care of him.
Key Points
- Economic blackout planned in Minnesota
- Vice President JD Vance defends ICE after five-year-old boy detained
- 5-year-old and father detained by ICE officer in Minnesota - and he’s not the only school kid swept up in raids
- ICE launches 'Operation Catch of the Day' in Maine
Watch: JD Vance defends five-year-old being detained by agents in Minnesota
15:20 , Ariana BaioDHS claims immigration officers were ‘taking care’ of 5-year-old detained
15:00 , Ariana BaioThe Department of Homeland Security is now accusing the parents of a 5-year-old boy, detained by ICE, of “abandoning” him, leaving him in the care of immigration enforcement officers.
Immigration officials have been subject to nationwide criticism after a photo of the boy being detained Tuesday was released. School officials said the boy and his father were detained and accused immigration agents of using the child as “bait” by having him knock on doors so they could apprehend others.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for DHS, called the narrative about the boy and his father a “horrific smear.”
“His own father was being approached by ICE agents when he darted, ran, and abandoned the child,” McLaughlin told Newsmax Friday morning.
“Officers actually were taking care of the child, brought him to McDonald’s, were playing his favorite music to really calm him down,” McLaughlin asserted.
McLaughlin said immigration officials tried to bring the boy into custody with his mother, but she refused. A school official claimed she heard an adult in a home offer to take the child, but immigration denied the request.
Protests being called 'Day of Truth and Freedom'
14:35 , Ariana BaioMinneapolis protest organizers are calling Friday a “Day of Truth and Freedom” as businesses close to participate in an economic blackout.
“It’s tense and emotional, and folks are hurting,” Bishop Dwayne Royster, the executive director of Faith in Action, told the New York Times.
Faith in Action is one of the various faith-based groups helping organize the ongoing protests.
Royster said locals are displaying “deep resilience and willingness to stand together in ways I haven’t seen folks do in a very long time.”
Economic blackout planned in Minnesota
14:02 , Ariana BaioFaith leaders, labor unions and community organizers are asking Minnesotans to participate in an economic blackout Friday by not shopping or attending school.
The planned protest is part of a pushback on immigration enforcement operations by the Trump administration.
Local businesses that can participate in the economic blackout say the point is to show officials that immigrants are a key part of a thriving economy.
Jury acquits man accused of murder-for-hire plot against Border Patrol leader
02:00 , APA man accused of offering a $10,000 bounty via Snapchat for the life of a senior Border Patrol leader has been acquitted, marking the conclusion of the first criminal trial to emerge from last year's immigration crackdown in the Chicago area.
Jurors deliberated for less than four hours before delivering a not guilty verdict for Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37.
He had faced a single count of murder-for-hire, which carried a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The federal trial, where testimony lasted only a few hours, served as a significant test of the Trump administration's credibility regarding federal immigration surges that have been implemented across the United States.
Read on...
Jury acquits man accused of murder-for-hire plot against Border Patrol leader
Watch: ICE activity is ‘inducing trauma,’ says Columbia Heights school official says
01:40 , Rachel DobkinAll but seven Democrats vote against bill to fund Homeland Security amid ICE crackdowns in Minnesota
01:20 , Eric GarciaOnly seven Democrats joined all but one Republican to fund the Department of Homeland Security as many Democratic voters continue to speak out against crackdowns by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Reps. Don Davis of North Carolina, Tom Suozzi of New York, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Laura Gillen of New York, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Jared Golden of Maine voted to fund the Department of Homeland Security. All of them hail from districts that voted for President Donald Trump.
Only Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, a perpetual gadfly in the House, joined the rest of the Democrats to oppose the bill.
The vote came as many Democrats have criticized tactics by ICE, particularly after the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month. Rep. Angie Craig, who represents the Minneapolis area and is running for Senate in the state, said she was a “hell no” on the legislation.
Read on...
Only seven Democrats vote against bill to fund Homeland Security amid ICE crackdowns
Democrat bashes 'cruelty' of Trump administration in immigration crackdown
01:00 , Rachel DobkinSenator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, has bashed the “cruelty” of the Trump administration in its immigration crackdown.
The Associated Press reported Wednesday on an internal ICE memo authorizing federal agents to forcibly enter people’s homes without a judge’s warrant.
Responding to that report, Schiff wrote on X Thursday, “Kristi Noem is telling ICE agents they can forcibly enter your home without a judicial warrant. That is unconstitutional.
“History will judge us if we do not stand up to the lawlessness and cruelty of this administration.”
AOC calls to defend ICE after 5-year-old detained
00:40 , Rachel DobkinRepresentative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, has repeated her calls to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement after a five-year-old boy was detained in Minnesota.
“An agency that is attacking U.S. citizens, that are kidnapping five-year-olds, that are using them as bait to open doors and that privately circulating that they can violate everyday Americans' Constitutional rights by busting into their doors—they deserve to be defunded, and I’ll take any step in that direction,” the congresswoman told reporters Thursday.
Watch: School official calls on agents to release body cam from 5-year-old’s detention
00:20 , Rachel DobkinTrump claims Rep. Ilhan Omar is worth $30M, calls for financial crimes probe
00:00 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump has claimed Representative Ilhan Omar, a Minnesota Democrat, is worth more than $30 million and called for a financial crimes investigation.
“Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is worth over $30 Million Dollars. There is no way such wealth could have been accumulated, legally, while being paid the salary of a politician. She should be investigated for Financial and Political Crimes, and that investigation should start, NOW!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.
Last February, Omar told Business Insider, “Since getting elected, there has been a coordinated right-wing disinformation campaign claiming all sorts of wild things, including the ridiculous claim I am worth millions of dollars which is categorically false.”
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota is intertwined with a massive fraud scandal in the state, in which hundreds of millions of dollars were allegedly stolen from welfare programs.
Somali Americans, who made up most of the defendants charged so far in the federal fraud schemes, have become a political target for Trump, with him calling the Somali immigrant population in Minnesota “garbage.”
In particular, Omar, a refugee from Somalia, has drawn the president’s ire. He has said that she “shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman” and “should be thrown the hell out of our country.”
Kamala Harris speaks out against detention of ICE 'bait' Liam Ramos: 'Just a baby'
Thursday 22 January 2026 23:40 , Rachel DobkinFormer Vice President Kamala Harris has slammed immigration officials for detaining five-year-old Liam Ramos in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, on Tuesday.
“Liam Ramos is just a baby. He should be at home with his family, not used as bait by ICE and held in a Texas detention center. I am outraged, and you should be too,” Harris said.
Liam Ramos is just a baby. He should be at home with his family, not used as bait by ICE and held in a Texas detention center.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 22, 2026
I am outraged, and you should be too. pic.twitter.com/djr2z1AG0N
Watch: JD Vance defends arrests of Minnesota protesters who disrupted church service
Thursday 22 January 2026 23:24 , Rachel DobkinVice President JD Vance has defended the arrests of two anti-ICE protesters who disrupted a service at a Minnesota church last Sunday.
“If you interrupt a church service, you ought to get arrested, you ought to go to prison,” Vance told Newsmax Thursday.
.@VP: "If you interrupt a church service, you ought to get arrested, you ought to go to prison. I think we wanted to send a very clear signal at the Department of Justice that you cannot interrupt people's rightful worship without expecting there to be any consequences." pic.twitter.com/XinFI19nKj
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 22, 2026
Read more about the protesters’ arrest:
Protesters arrested after disrupting Minnesota church service
School officials call for release of body camera footage
Thursday 22 January 2026 23:05 , Katie HawkinsonSchool district officials in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, are calling on ICE to release the body camera footage of agents taking five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father.
“So perhaps the ICE agents could share their body cams and actually show on video what happened,” Superintendent Zena Stenvik told reporters.
School official witnessed ICE agents taking five-year-old student
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:49 , Katie HawkinsonMary Granlund, chair of the Columbia Heights Public Schools board, said she witnessed ICE agents taking five-year-old Liam Ramos.
“As I got out of my car and came around the corner, I heard, ‘What are you doing? Don't take the child.’ His mom — there are people here that can take him. There was another adult who lived in the home that was there saying, ‘I will take the child. I will take the child.’ Somebody else was yelling, they saw that I was there and said, ‘School is here, they can take the child, you don't have to take them,’” Granlund told reporters.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, has said Liam’s father asked for them to stay together.
“Our officers made multiple attempts to get the alleged mother who was inside the house to take custody of her child. Officers even assured her she would NOT be taken into custody. The alleged mother refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him,” McLaughlin said.
Liam and his father are currently in an ICE facility in Dilley, Texas, officials said.
Five-year-old taken by ICE described as 'wonderful child'
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:35 , Katie HawkinsonZena Stenvik, the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools in Minnesota, said five-year-old Liam Ramos’s preschool teacher described him as a “wonderful child.”
The five-year-old and his father were taken by ICE agents earlier this week, school officials said.
“We had the opportunity to talk to his preschool teacher yesterday, and she said he was just a wonderful child, a great student, that she and the classmates miss him,” Stenvik said.
'We have whistles, they have guns': Minnesota school official slams ICE activity
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:17 , Katie HawkinsonMary Granlund, chair of the Columbia Heights, Minnesota, school board, said the community’s “sense of safety” has been “shaken.”
This comes after Columbia Heights school officials said at least four students have been taken by ICE agents in recent weeks, including five-year-old Liam Ramos.
“The sense of safety in our community and around our schools is shaken, and our hearts are shattered. Honestly, at the end of the day, children should be in school with their classmates, and we want to focus on the purpose of educating our children,” Granlund told reporters Thursday.
She later added: “We are seeking a peaceful resolution, and we need your help, because at the end of the day, we have whistles and they have guns.”
School official says ICE activity is 'inducing trauma'
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:12 , Katie HawkinsonZena Stenvik, the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools in Minnesota, said ICE activity is “inducing trauma” after the agency took at least four students in recent weeks.
“The onslaught of ICE activity in our community is inducing trauma and is taking a toll on our children, taking a toll on our families, our staff, our community members. This surge has changed nearly everything about our daily lives,” Stenvik told reporters.
Five-year-old Liam Ramos was among the four students taken by agents, school officials have said.
Lawyer for family of five-year-old taken by ICE says they are in U.S. legally
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:10 , Katie HawkinsonAn attorney representing the family of Liam Ramos, the five-year-old taken by ICE agents near Minneapolis earlier this week, said the boy and his father entered the U.S. “lawfully.”
“Liam and his dad did enter the United States at a port of entry to seek asylum through the [Customs and Border Patrol] One app, at the Brownsville border crossing,” attorney Marc Prokosch told reporters Thursday.
“They entered lawfully through the CBP One program,” he later added.
The father and son are currently together at an ICE facility in Dilley, Texas.
School district officials in nearby Columbia Heights, Minnesota, previously said at least four students have been taken by ICE officers in recent weeks, including Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias.
The Department of Homeland Security has said the father entered the U.S. illegally. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin also emphasized the agency “did NOT target or arrest a child.”
Minneapolis businesses closing Friday to protest ICE
Thursday 22 January 2026 22:05 , Katie HawkinsonSome Minneapolis business owners are closing their stores Friday as part of an “ICE out” day of protest against the agency, according to NBC News.
The organizers are also calling for no work, school or shopping, the outlet reports.
White House appears to admit it altered image of Minnesota protester’s arrest to make her look like she was crying
Thursday 22 January 2026 21:55 , Josh MarcusThe Trump administration on Thursday appeared to admit it digitally altered an image of an activist who was arrested for organizing a recent anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church to make it look like she was crying.
Keep reading:
White House seems to admit it edited church protester arrest photo to show her crying
Vance says administration doesn't need to invoke Insurrection Act right now
Thursday 22 January 2026 21:45 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance told reporters the Trump administration is not currently looking to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minneapolis amid ongoing anti-ICE protests.
Vance said Thursday it’s his understanding that the Insurrection Act would “allow the federal government to use the military for local law enforcement operations.”
“Right now, we don't think that we need that,” he said.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump told NewsNation that he doesn’t think it’s needed yet, but it “might be at some point.”
DHS responds to reports that five-year-old was taken by ICE agents in Minneapolis
Thursday 22 January 2026 21:22 , Katie HawkinsonDepartment of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said ICE “did NOT target or arrest a child” in response to reports that a five-year-old was taken by agents in Minneapolis earlier this week.
“On January 20, ICE conducted a targeted operation to arrest Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias an illegal alien from Ecuador who was RELEASED into the U.S. by the Biden administration,” McLaughlin said in a statement to The Independent.
“As agents approached, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias fled on foot—abandoning his child. For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias,” she added. “Our officers made multiple attempts to get the alleged mother who was inside the house to take custody of her child. Officers even assured her she would NOT be taken her into custody. The alleged mother refused to accept custody of the child. The father told officers he wanted the child to remain with him.”
The father and son are currently together at an ICE facility Dilley, Texas, she added.
No prominent politician is liked by the nation – but JD Vance scores the highest, poll finds
Thursday 22 January 2026 21:09 , Joe SommerladNo American politician with the potential to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 currently has a favorability rating above 50 percent, a new poll has found.
Vice President JD Vance, President Donald Trump’s most obvious successor at the head of the MAGA movement, scored highest in the latest survey from Emerson College Polling on just 46 percent, with another 41 percent of respondents viewing him unfavorably, and a further 13 percent unsure.
Keep reading:
No prominent politician is widely liked – but JD Vance scores highest, poll finds
Watch: JD Vance defends ICE after agents detain five-year-old in Minnesota
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:46 , Katie HawkinsonVance responds to concerns from local police
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:26 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance responded to concerns from local police officials, who said Tuesday they’re concerned about “discrimination,” “profiling,” and “civil rights violations,” as ICE operates in the city.
One local police official noted that off-duty officers have been among those targeted by ICE.
“Of course, if somebody violated the law, if somebody is racially profiled, if somebody violated the rights of one of our fellow citizens, that is something we will take very seriously,” Vance said.
“What I also would say is that many of the most viral stories of the past couple of weeks have turned out to be, at best, partially true. So we want to try people based on reality, based on the truth, based on context,” he added.
Vance says investigation into Renee Good shooting is ongoing
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:17 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance said the Trump administration’s investigation into Renee Good’s killing is ongoing — but added that he does not want the ICE agent involved to be “judged in the court of public opinion.”
Good, a 37-year-old mother, was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis earlier this month
“Of course, we're investigating the Renee Good shooting. But we're investigating them in a way that respects people's rights and that ensures that if somebody did something wrong, yes, they're going to face disciplinary action, but we're not going to judge them in the court of public opinion,” Vance said.
Vance blames local leaders for 'chaos' in Minneapolis
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:07 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance blamed local leaders for what he described as “chaos” in Minneapolis.
“I do not want so many ICE officers in Minneapolis right now. I mean, good lord, it's really, really freaking cold outside. But they're here not even to enforce immigration laws, but to protect the people from the rioters,” he said.
“That's an absurd state of affairs, and we wouldn't need it if we had a little bit more cooperation from the Minneapolis Police Department,” he added. “Again, the Minneapolis Police Department — my understanding is that the actual beat cops on the ground, they would love to help out. But they're being told by somebody — I don't know if it's Mayor Frey — they're being told by somebody not to cooperate at all.”
Vance defends ICE after five-year-old boy detained
Thursday 22 January 2026 20:03 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance defended ICE after reports emerged that agents detained a five-year-old boy near Minneapolis earlier this week.
“Well, I do a little bit more follow-up research, and what I find is that the five-year-old was not arrested, that his dad was an illegal alien, and when they went to arrest his illegal alien father, the father ran,” Vance told reporters in Minneapolis.
“So the story is that ICE detained a five-year-old, well, what are they supposed to do? Are they supposed to let a five-year-old child freeze to death? Are they not supposed to arrest an illegal alien in the United States of America?” he added.
Vance went on to say it’s “heartbreaking” and “traumatic” for children to watch their family members get arrested.
“I saw people in my family get arrested. It's terrible, it's heartbreaking, it's chaotic, it's traumatic for the kids. I can recognize that, and I can recognize that we’ve got to support these kids, while, on the other hand, saying that just because you're a parent doesn't mean that you get complete immunity from law enforcement,” he said.
Vance speaks in Minneapolis
Thursday 22 January 2026 19:43 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance is speaking now in Minneapolis.
His speech comes just weeks after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother, in the city. Vance arrived in Minneapolis earlier this afternoon to meet with ICE agents and other local leaders.
“I wanted to meet with business leaders, with ICE officers, with local law enforcement, to try to understand a little bit better what's going on, so that we can tone down the temperature a little bit, reduce the chaos, but still allow us as a federal government to enforce the American people's immigration laws,” Vance said.
JD Vance heads to Minneapolis to praise immigration crackdown as tensions over ICE shooting continue
Thursday 22 January 2026 19:20 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance has arrived in Minneapolis to meet with ICE agents and give public remarks.
Here’s what to know about his visit:
JD Vance to praise ICE in Minneapolis as tensions over shooting mount
Vance arrives in Minneapolis
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:50 , Katie HawkinsonVice President JD Vance has arrived in Minneapolis, where he’s expected to meet with ICE agents before giving public remarks.
Third arrest made in connection with St. Paul church protest
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:48 , Katie HawkinsonA third person has been arrested in connection with the anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church over the weekend.
Attorney General Pam Bondi identified the third person as William Kelly. Earlier Thursday, she announced the arrests of civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen.
Renee Good was shot at least three times, according to autopsy commissioned by her family
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:30 , Mike BediganRenee Nicole Good was shot at least three times during her altercation with an ICE agent in Minneapolis, according to an independent autopsy commissioned by her family.
Lawyers for Good’s family said Wednesday that the report concluded that the 37-year-old had suffered three clear gunshot wounds, one of which had been to her head.
Good was struck on her left forearm, as well as taking another shot to her right breast, though the bullet did not hit any of her major organs. Neither injury would have been immediately life-threatening, the lawyers said.
Keep reading:
Renee Good was shot three times, according to autopsy commissioned by her family
Judge rejects prosecutors' bid to charge Don Lemon over St. Paul church protest: report
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:14 , Katie HawkinsonA magistrate judge has rejected prosecutors’ attempts to charge former CNN journalist Don Lemon in connection with an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.
Lemon was present at the protest and recorded footage from inside the church. Lemon has said he is not affiliated with the protest’s organizers and that he was there to cover the event as a reporter, the AP reports.
Who has been arrested in connection with the St. Paul church protest?
Thursday 22 January 2026 18:02 , Katie HawkinsonAttorney General Pam Bondi announced two people have been arrested in connection with an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, over the weekend.
Civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Louisa Allen have since been arrested, Bondi said Thursday.
Dozens of protesters interrupted the Sunday worship service at the church, where a local ICE official serves as a pastor.
‘How do you sleep?’ Federal agents heckled as they arrest crying teenage girl in Minneapolis
Thursday 22 January 2026 17:50 , Owen ScottFurious protestors were heard screaming “how do you sleep” at a squad of ICE agents seen barrelling a pair of teenagers into a car during a raid in Minnesota.
The chaotic scene unfolded Wednesday on the streets of Minneapolis, where ICE agents have been snatching alleged illegal immigrants from the streets as part of Operation Metro Surge.
Keep reading:
‘How do you sleep?’ Federal agents heckled as they arrest teen girl in Minneapolis
How many people has the Trump administration deported?
Thursday 22 January 2026 17:40 , Katie HawkinsonThe Trump administration has deported an estimated 540,000 people over the last year, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.
That includes about 230,000 people who were arrested in the U.S., and 270,000 people who were arrested at the border. Another estimated 40,000 people “self-deported,” according to the analysis.
