More than 300 demonstrations are planned across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., this weekend as part of a coordinated national action calling for the removal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from U.S. communities.
Organizers say the protests, operating under the banner “ICE Out of Everywhere,” are a response to a series of recent deaths involving federal immigration agents and to what activists describe as the growing militarization of immigration enforcement.
The actions follow a nationwide protest and work stoppage held Friday and are being coordinated by a coalition of grassroots groups led by the national organizing network 50501.
Organizers cite several recent incidents as catalysts for the demonstrations, including the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis earlier this month, the death of Geraldo Campos while in immigration detention in Texas, and the shooting of Keith Porter Jr. by an off-duty ICE officer in Los Angeles. Activists argue these cases reflect a broader pattern of excessive force, detention abuses, and lack of accountability within federal immigration agencies.
“The national day of action is about pushing back against escalating actions taken by the federal government against communities across the country,” said Hunter Dunn, a national press coordinator for 50501. “For many people, these deaths have exposed the reality of what immigration enforcement looks like on the ground.”
Planned actions include candlelight vigils, marches, overpass banner displays, sidewalk demonstrations, and community training sessions focused on documenting ICE activity and engaging elected officials. Protests are expected in major cities and small towns alike, with gatherings planned outside ICE detention centers, field offices, congressional offices, and airports.
Some demonstrations are targeting private companies that activists say support deportation operations. Protesters plan to gather at hotels that provide lodging for immigration agents during enforcement actions, urging management to terminate contracts with ICE. Other campaigns are calling on restaurants, retailers, and service providers to refuse cooperation with immigration enforcement. Demonstrations are also planned outside large retail chains where ICE arrests of shoppers or employees have previously occurred.
The protests are also tied to ongoing debates in Congress over funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and Customs and Border Protection. While lawmakers moved this week to advance several spending bills to avoid a partial government shutdown, negotiations over DHS funding remain unresolved. Some lawmakers are calling for reforms including a formal code of conduct for immigration agents, restrictions on enforcement tactics, and independent investigations into alleged abuses.
Saturday’s demonstrations build on weeks of escalating protests that began after the fatal shooting of Renee Good on Jan. 7. Large-scale demonstrations followed later in January, including a statewide protest in Minnesota that drew tens of thousands of participants and prompted business closures and calls for a broader economic slowdown. A national protest day held Jan. 30 saw thousands of people participate in coordinated actions across multiple states.
Organizers say the current wave of protests reflects sustained momentum rather than a single moment of outrage.
“These actions are a continuation of what communities have already been building,” Dunn said. “This is a collective push responding to harm that people believe is still happening.”
Protest leaders say their demands—including accountability for immigration agents involved in civilian deaths—have yet to be addressed.
“We’ve seen fear, intimidation, and loss, but people are still showing up,” said Janae Bates Imari, a Minneapolis-based faith leader, during a press briefing. “Communities are refusing to be silent, and they’re demanding change.”