US Tenants Strike Against Landlords Over Rent Hikes Amid ICE Crackdowns
In a bold move against soaring rents and immigration enforcement actions, tenants across the United States are increasingly turning to rent strikes as a form of protest. This trend has gained traction in cities like Minneapolis, where residents recently gathered at City Hall to demand protections against a looming eviction crisis triggered by ICE crackdowns.
Rent Strikes Gain Momentum Nationwide
Rent strikes have become more common in recent years, driven by all-time high rent increases and a rise in corporate investment in rental properties. Nadia Langley, a 24-year-old organizer in south Minneapolis, has been mobilizing tenants since 2024. Her efforts saw a sudden surge in interest two months ago, not due to worsening housing conditions, but because of the arrival of thousands of federal agents in the city as part of the Trump administration's mass immigration crackdown.
Many immigrants and residents of color feared encounters with agents, leading them to avoid leaving their homes, even for work. In response, communities organized group chats to alert neighbors about immigration agent sightings and provide food and aid. Langley and other renters, supported by labor unions, formed Twin Cities Tenants and proposed withholding March rent to force policy safeguards for those endangered by the immigration operation.
Historical Context and Modern Movements
Rent strikes are not a new phenomenon in the US, with roots dating back nearly two centuries. Brandon M Weiss, a law professor at American University, notes that while the strategy has historical precedents, it has received renewed attention since the pandemic. Large corporate investors buying up rental properties have contributed to rising rents, prompting an increase in both the number and sophistication of rent strikes.
Weiss explains, "Beyond the sheer number of campaigns, the nature of these actions has evolved from building-specific demands for repairs into highly coordinated, multi-state efforts targeting entire corporate portfolios." Early examples include tenant farmers organizing against feudal landlords in 1839 and significant strikes in New York City during the early 1900s and 1960s, which led to the country's first rent-control laws.
National Coalition and Strategic Efforts
Today's rent strike movement spans multiple cities and states, fueled by a nearly 20% national increase in rents since 2021. Tara Raghuveer, a longtime organizer in Kansas City, helped found the national Tenant Union Federation (TUF) in 2024. This coalition brings together renter groups to experiment with ways tenants can exercise economic power more effectively.
Raghuveer states, "Tenants' ultimate power is our rent, but that only matters if we're organized, and if we know how to exercise that power. So our first few years have been about the rent strike as strategy." TUF has been involved in organizing efforts in Minneapolis, Kentucky, and Montana, states with weak tenant protections, and has seen successes in Missouri, where strikes led to rent freezes, reductions, and repair schedules.
Challenges and Future Prospects
In Minneapolis, tenant organizers faced urgent challenges as missing paychecks due to ICE crackdowns put thousands at risk of eviction. Yusra Murad, an organizer with Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia, highlighted that home is "one of the last places of safety for families being targeted." Renters' groups pushed for policy measures like a state eviction moratorium and a $50 million rent relief fund, leading to the formation of Twin Cities Tenants, backed by five local labor unions.
The coalition aimed for a rent strike in March, hoping to mobilize 10,000 strikers and create an estimated $15 million in economic disruption. Despite extensive efforts, including door-knocking and calls to 26,000 people, organizers fell short of their goal and called off the strike. Additionally, the mayor of Minneapolis vetoed a proposal to extend the city's eviction notice policy, offering $1 million in rental assistance instead.
Langley remains optimistic, noting that the challenges are solvable with more building-by-building organizing. She emphasizes, "Now people have the language of rent strike. They're able to recognize that they do have this incredible power in their rent check." As rent strikes continue to evolve, tenants across the US are leveraging collective action to address housing insecurity and immigration-related fears.
