Dawn broke over Minneapolis with an eerie stillness—no factory whistles, no school buses, no morning rush. By sunrise, more than 150,000 workers across the state had walked off the job in the biggest general strike Minnesota has seen since the 1950s. Highways sat empty, hospitals ran on emergency staffing, public transit froze, and the single chant that rose from every picket line was unmistakable: “ICE out for good.”
The strike was called overnight by a coalition of unions, immigrant-rights organizations, faith groups, and community leaders after a fresh wave of ICE raids tore through meatpacking plants in St. Paul and a Somali community center in Minneapolis, detaining dozens—including several U.S. citizens caught in the sweep. Organizers declared the action indefinite: “We stop working until ICE is dismantled and the raids end.”
Picket lines stretched for blocks outside federal buildings, major employers, and even the state capitol. Signs read “No human is illegal,” “Deport hate, not people,” and “Families belong together.” High-school and college students walked out in solidarity, joining parents who had left shifts at hospitals, warehouses, and restaurants. Live drone footage showed I-94 eerily quiet except for lines of marchers carrying American flags alongside flags from Mexico, Somalia, and Guatemala.
One striking nurse outside Hennepin County Medical Center, mask pulled down, spoke to a local reporter through tears: “They took my neighbor yesterday. He’s been here 25 years, pays taxes, has three kids in school. If we don’t stop this now, there won’t be anyone left to care for the sick.” Her voice cracked on the last word, and the camera lingered on her pause—a quiet, human moment amid the chaos that went viral within minutes.
President Trump responded on Truth Social at 7:42 a.m.: “Radical left insurrection in Minnesota! These strikers are hurting America—big time. We’re deporting faster, not slower. Law & Order!” The post only fueled the crowds, who answered with louder chants and more bodies on the streets.
Behind the scenes, union leaders are preparing for a long haul: strike funds are being pooled from national affiliates, legal defense teams are on standby for mass arrests, and solidarity actions are already spreading to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. Whispers circulate that if the administration escalates raids in retaliation, the strike could go national by week’s end.
Minnesota’s Democratic governor called the action “a cry for basic humanity,” while Republican state lawmakers demanded the National Guard be deployed to “restore order.” The governor has so far refused.
The question tonight isn’t whether Minnesota can sustain this—it’s whether the rest of the country will let it stand alone.
Raise your hand if you stand with the strikers 
What happens next could redefine 2026.
