Students walk out across Minneapolis after fatal ICE shooting, protests over US immigration enforcement

UNITED STATES: Hundreds of students from schools across Minneapolis and St. Paul walked out of classes on 14 January 2026 to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, following the fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent one week earlier.

Students from more than five high schools participated in the coordinated walkouts, marching through city streets before gathering at the Minnesota State Capitol.

Aerial footage showed demonstrators holding signs reading “ICE Out” as crowds assembled on the Capitol grounds.

Organisers said the walkouts marked the third consecutive day of student-led protests in the Minneapolis metropolitan area, estimating that more than 600 students had taken part so far.

One student from Como Park Senior High School told the World Socialist Web Site that fear of immigration enforcement was affecting attendance and learning.

“It’s getting out of hand because students are afraid to show up to school,” the student said, adding that some were missing lessons due to concerns about ICE activity.

Another student said the protests were about speaking out collectively against what they viewed as unjust enforcement practices.

“I think it’s important to speak out for what’s right,” the student said. “There’s so many people here that are against ICE, and I think ICE should leave them alone.”

Fatal shooting and official response

The demonstrations followed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renée Nicole Good in Minneapolis last week during an encounter with an ICE agent.

The Trump administration said the officer acted in self-defence and described Good as a “domestic terrorist”.

However, media reported that while the ICE agent involved, Jonathan Ross, was later said to have suffered internal bleeding, video footage showed him walking away from the scene without visible injury.

The incident has sparked protests across the city and drawn national attention, intensifying scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement tactics.

Federal presence and community tensions

In response to the demonstrations, protest organisers said the Trump administration increased the number of federal agents deployed to Minneapolis to around 3,000.

ICE agents were also reported outside several schools during the week, including Aquila Elementary School, prompting parents to gather in protest.

In Robbinsdale, ICE detained a parent of an elementary school student, while the child was not detained, according to local reports.

Earlier in the week, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Graduate by Hilton hotel on the University of Minnesota campus, where ICE agents were reported to be staying.

Protesters used horns, whistles and drums late into the night, drawing attention to what organisers described as a sustained federal presence in the city.

Allegations during arrests and protests

Reporters from Status Coup alleged that during arrests in Minneapolis, federal agents hurled insults at protesters and made remarks referencing Good’s death.

The outlet reported that agents warned demonstrators that further disruptions could lead to additional deaths.

Those claims have not been independently verified by authorities, and federal agencies have not publicly responded to the allegations.

Plans for further action

Student organisers said protests would continue, including participation in a city-wide shutdown planned for 23 January.

Demonstrators are calling for ICE to leave Minnesota and for an end to immigration enforcement actions within local communities.

As protests continued, faith leaders, union representatives and community members announced plans for a “Day of Truth and Freedom” on Friday, 23 January.

Organisers urged Minnesotans not to go to work, attend school or shop on that day.

The action was announced at a news conference outside the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.

Organisers said the call reflected anger over what they described as a surge in federal law enforcement following Good’s death.

Auxiliary Minister JaNaé Bates Imari of St. Paul’s Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church urged Minnesotans to use collective action.

“We need to leverage our economic power, our labour, our prayer for one another,” Bates Imari said.

She described the events surrounding Good’s death as abnormal and deeply troubling for the community.

“What we have seen and what we have witnessed, what we have all gone through is not normal,” she said. “[Renée Good was] standing up for her neighbour. Her whistle blowing was returned by bullets.”

Organisers said the day of action would include a march and rally in downtown Minneapolis at 2 p.m.

Several unions have expressed support for the shutdown, including the St. Paul Federation of Educators, Unite Here Local 17, SEIU Local 26 and transit union ATU.