Hundreds of Thousands Join Nationwide Strike Against US Immigration Agency Practices
Hundreds of Thousands Join Nationwide Strike Against US Immigration Agency Practices
—————————————
Hundreds of thousands of students and workers across the United States took part in a wide-ranging general strike to protest the practices of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), amid growing calls to halt its operations and hold officials accountable for what protesters described as serious abuses.
The strike affected universities and schools in multiple states. Organizers estimated participation at several hundred thousand nationwide, including tens of thousands in Minnesota, where recent weeks have seen the deaths of US citizens in incidents activists have linked to immigration enforcement actions, triggering public anger.
In Washington, DC, large student-led marches moved from university areas toward the White House before gathering in central neighborhoods. Demonstrators carried placards demanding an end to forced deportations and criticizing what they described as excessive use of force, violations of freedom of expression, and the separation of children from their families during detention operations.
Participants said the strike was intended to send a clear message rejecting current ICE policies, arguing that they amount to serious violations of civil and human rights and require immediate action from both the legislative and executive branches.
The protests coincided with escalating political debate in Congress over funding for ICE, with some lawmakers seeking to separate its budget from the broader federal spending package amid mounting criticism of its methods. The dispute reflects the growing controversy surrounding the agency at both public and political levels.
In several states, businesses and institutions announced temporary closures in solidarity with the strike, while others pledged financial support to migrant rights organizations and groups providing legal assistance to individuals facing deportation.
The demonstrations come amid increasing calls for sweeping reforms to US immigration policy and a review of ICE’s authority, with warnings that maintaining the current approach could deepen social tensions and political division across the country.
