Thousands March in New York City to Protest ICE Amid National Day of Action
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in New York City on Friday, braving plunging cold temperatures to participate in a nationwide day of action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The protests were organised as a response to the Trump administration's escalating mass deportation campaign and recent fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents.
Chants and Solidarity in Freezing Conditions
As the sun began setting over Manhattan, protesters of all ages, dressed in thick coats, hats and gloves, filled the streets with chants condemning ICE. The crowd's slogans linked the immigration enforcement agency with historical hate groups, with demonstrators shouting "Abolish ICE!" and "No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA!" throughout the march.
Spanish-language chants also echoed through the streets, including "Chinga la migra," a colloquial expression against immigration enforcement. The demonstration formed part of a coordinated national effort advocating for "no work, no school, no shopping" to protest what organisers described as brutal immigration crackdowns.
Connection to Minneapolis Shootings
The New York protest maintained strong connections to recent events in Minneapolis, where federal agents shot and killed two US citizens in separate January incidents. Congressional candidate Brad Lander, who had spent time in Minneapolis before joining the New York demonstration, addressed the crowd about the situation.
"People in Minneapolis are heartbroken – and they are enraged," Lander said of the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, both 37-year-old American citizens. The former New York City comptroller, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor, has a history of protesting at the city's ICE office where detained immigrants are held.
Student Leadership and Personal Stories
Young people and students played a prominent role in leading the protests. John Eddy, a student from Las Vegas, explained that he and fellow students had taken the full day off from classes to participate. "We're students – we took the full day off of school," Eddy stated. "We haven't been to any classes at all. We are out here."
Abdou Seye, who had travelled from Minneapolis where his family is based, expressed the sentiment driving many protesters. "Really it's 'Fuck ICE,'" Seye said bluntly. Referring to the Minneapolis shootings, he continued: "The thing is, if it's them today, it's us tomorrow, so we have to keep going. We have to keep this up."
Seye described witnessing aggressive confrontations between officials and demonstrators in Minneapolis, noting that his mother had been trapped near city hall for nearly two days due to authorities' tactics.
Broader National Context
The demonstration in New York represented just one part of coordinated protests occurring across the United States. Organisers, many of them University of Minnesota students, called for federal immigration agents to leave Minneapolis after a nearly month-long operation there. They advocated for economic pressure through work stoppages and consumer boycotts as methods to demand accountability and reform.
Julia Parris, a protester from Brooklyn who had participated in previous demonstrations including the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, expressed her frustration with current policies. "I am disgusted," Parris said. "There are no strong enough words to describe how I feel about this administration. We are fed up."
Community Response and Traffic Disruption
As demonstrators marched through Manhattan's ice-covered streets, stalling traffic, they received unexpected support from some motorists. People in their cars began honking in solidarity with the protesters, and at one point, a man blasted music from his stereo while sitting on top of his car, waving and smiling at the passing crowd.
The protest highlighted growing concerns about immigration enforcement tactics beyond the Minneapolis shootings, with organisers noting that immigration agents under the Trump administration's command have also killed Keith Porter in Los Angeles and Silverio Villegas González in Illinois.
The national day of action represented a significant show of opposition to current immigration policies, with protesters emphasising their determination to continue demonstrating despite challenging weather conditions and the ongoing nature of the issues they were addressing.
