John,

Last weekend, thousands of Americans came out in the freezing cold to protest in their cities against ICE. In 7 degree weather, Boston residents protested and chanted “We're not cold, we're not afraid, MN taught us to be brave.”

I joined a protest in my district in solidarity with Minneapolis, which put together a historic city-wide walk out last Friday.

Demanding ICE and other immigration agencies leave Minnesota, over 50,000 people marched in windchill temperatures of -20 degrees—holding signs saying "Stop kidnapping our neighbors.” Some schools and 700 businesses shut down for the day, and other businesses donated to immigrant rights groups.

Somali, Ethiopian, and other Black student organizers from Minneapolis are now calling for a national shutdown tomorrow, Friday January 30, to stop ICE terror.

They’re calling on people to walk out from school or work (if possible) and to avoid shopping, saying: “We call on everyone across the country to stand with us and shut it down!

Organizations are responding to the call; you can see a list of endorsing groups here. Students are planning high school walkouts across the country and sharing walkout guides.  

If you can, please stand with Minnesota and demand justice for victims of ICE terror by joining ICE Out of Everywhere National Days of Action this Friday and Saturday.

For Saturday, organizers are calling on communities to protest outside of ICE detention centers, ICE field offices, airlines flying out ICE victims, and Congressional offices to demand the abolition of ICE and no funding for DHS. Check with local community groups and immigrant rights groups to see what they’re planning, or look up events near you.

If you can’t participate, perhaps you could consider taking a shift to offer childcare or other support for people who plan to walk out or protest, or for people who are afraid to leave their homes.

This is needed beyond just one day: Minneapolis organizers are also urging people to prepare their communities for occupation by federal immigration agencies.

Minnesotans are doing hyper-local organizing—signing up for rapid response networks and legal observer trainings, showing up in the streets trying to prevent ICE from abducting their neighbors, and patrolling their neighborhoods in shifts.

We can learn from this model. You can check out our resources page to find information about how to find or start mutual aid and community defense work.

A good first step is reaching out to your neighbors—particularly immigrants who are staying home for their protection—and asking what they need.

You may be able to give rides to and from schools or other places, run errands such as picking up groceries or prescription medications, help with childcare, distribute meals, translate for people in need, or check in with elderly and disabled neighbors.

Building relationships is a key step in building the trust we need to protect each other, so connect with people in your building, on your block, in your neighborhood, and groups you’re part of like a faith group or social club or your child’s school.

Together, you can find or start to create community food pantries, rapid response networks, ICE Watch groups and neighborhood foot patrols, block committees, and community care networks.

We’re learning from and getting momentum from each other, in-person and online. Recently, a virtual ICE watch training had around 80,000 participants, and a virtual Know Your Rights training had nearly 150,000 attendees.

We can find hope in this growing movement. All the transformative change we’ve seen in our country comes from the people, and together we are powerful.

Imam Youssef Abdullah said at a Minneapolis rally last Friday:

"Today, we are not gathering out of fear. We gathered out of love for our neighbors, for our children and for our future. When the violence escalated, we did not turn away. We showed up, we shared food, we marched together… To the federal government, look at this gathering here…. Your division did not work. Your division failed. Your cruelty has been exposed."

No one can stop a people-driven movement. Together, we can build stronger and more resilient communities, and stop the killings and kidnappings.

In love and solidarity,

Rashida