In protest of the killings of citizens in our country by Federal Agents, folks are planning on either walking out or not attending their work, school, and errands. This is scheduled to happen on Jan 30th.
Immigration Customs Enforcement have been infiltrating our cities across the United States. They have infiltrated Portland, our home, Los Angeles, and most consequentially, Minneapolis. Thus far, two Minneapolis residents have died from federal bullets. The first victim was Renee Good, a 37 year old U.S. citizen and mother of three. Videos have been circulating the internet of the incident, in which Renee attempted to drive away from the federal agent in which she was shot. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, called Renee Good a “domestic terrorist” and claimed that she used her vehicle to drive over the ICE agent, disregarding the fact that footage Renee Good was turning away from the agent. Noem claimed this killing was in self defense, however, bystanders claim the opposite.
Later, videos of an ICE protest in Minneapolis in which Alex Pretti, a U.S. citizen and ICU nurse, was shot and killed. Alex Pretti was in the protest legally carrying a handgun in his pocket, in his hand was his cellphone. In the video, an ICE agent first took the 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his pocket while Alex was recording on his phone. Several moments later, while Pretti was simply holding his phone, he was shot and killed by a federal agent. Once again, Kristi Noem called this man a “domestic terrorist”, specifically for carrying his handgun that he was legally cleared to carry.
Trump’s policy once again contradicts another amendment, however this time, the second amendment, one that right-leaning politicians typically praise. The government said that Alex Pretti was “an assassin” and the ICE officer killed him out of self defense, however most of the American public, including the republicans, are beginning to not buy it. People who try to explain that a cellphone could look like a gun are fooling themselves. The Trump Administration knows they are lying to the public, they know how bad this looks and so Gregory Bovino, former Border Patrol agent, who was at the scene in Minneapolis during the shooting was recently demoted due to the backlash.
The citizens of the United States are rightfully apoplectic; if two US citizens in a singular state died within a month by federal agents, who knows what can happen to any of us. It is not even a matter of political opinion on immigration anymore, what the Trump administration is doing is worse than simply deporting undocumented immigrants; if they can kill Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Keith Porter, Heber Sanchez Dominguez, Victor Manual Diaz, Parody La, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, and Geraldo Lunas Campos, they will kill anyone. People are growing sick of the fact that anyone can become an ICE agent and be given a gun without any proper training.
Recently, Instagram posts have been circulating to join a National Shutdown on Jan 30, 2026, encouraging people to walk out of school, work, and shopping in response to this outrage. Pedro Pascal, The Linda Lindas, and many other celebrities have posted about their plans on striking on the 30th.
However, protesting, even peacefully, can be a dangerous activity. Below, we have linked a handful of reliable sources, providing crucial information on how to prioritize your safety when engaging in a protest.
Resources
https://www.hrc.org/resources/tips-for-preparedness-peaceful-protesting-and-safety
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights
Citations