As the nation continues to grapple with an immigration crackdown, demonstrations have taken place across the country in response to President Donald Trump’s exertion of Immigrant Customs Enforcement (ICE). Since the Trump administration has returned to office, 40 people have died at the hands of ICE, while over 68,000 have been detained, as reported by NBC News. Tensions have been especially high after the fatal Minnesota shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both taking place within three weeks of one another.

Good was shot in her own vehicle while Pretti was shot multiple times on the street by ICE officers after he “used his cellphone to record Border Patrol officers conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis,” according to Al Jazeera. The deaths of Good and Pretti sparked public outrage throughout the nation, prompting the organizers of the national shutdown to take action.

Planned by University of Minnesota student groups, information about the national shutdown quickly gained traction on social media, and on Jan. 30, 2026, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in all 50 states, calling for the abolition of ICE and advocating for all the lives taken by the organization. Student leaders encouraged high school students across the country to participate in walkouts, those who are employed to call out from their jobs, and everyone to stop all purchases for the day in order to cause an “economic blackout” across the country — abstaining from shopping, school, and work.

While many were skeptical of the impact the national shutdown would have, Jan. 30 made national history. Hundreds of businesses across the country closed for the day in solidarity with the shutdown, and many establishments that stayed open donated their proceeds to charities. Maybe even most notably, thousands of students were involved in walkouts from coast to coast with signs reading “All ICE melts in California heat” and “Abolish ICE!” and shouting chants like “ICE out!” showing their passionate support.

When a nation comes together, they have the power to make a difference. National shutdowns like these are important because they gain attention and spread awareness to other areas of the U.S., sometimes even reaching national news. The more that people participate in national days of protest and engage with events like Jan. 30, the greater the impact will be.

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