Minneapolis labor organizations, the Revolutionary Communists of America, and the Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America chapter, among others, are calling for a day of action or a general strike on January 23.
The president of a local teachers’ union described that ICE has “only been around for 23 years. The concept of abolishing a system isn’t that far-fetched. I don’t think it’s going to be that hard to say that maybe it shouldn’t exist, either as it is or at all.” She further said, “There will be a reckoning … Whatever office you hold, whatever way of doing business that was status quo for you, say goodbye to that because we didn’t come this far to only get this far.”
The local DSA chapter encourages participants to take advantage of Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time law by claiming a paid “mental health day” from work, which DSA says would not require an employee to provide documentation.
Demands include:
• ICE must leave Minnesota now.
• The agent who killed Renee Good must be held legally accountable.
• No additional federal funding for ICE in the upcoming Congressional budget and ICE be investigated for human and constitutional violations of Americans and our neighbors.
• Minnesotan and national companies to become 4th Amendment Businesses – cease economic relations with ICE and refuse ICE entry or using their property for staging grounds.
Multiple businesses in the Twin Cities have announced closures “in solidarity” with the action. Others are remaining open but have pledged either to donate profits (several to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota) or services.
January 23 rallies in support are scheduled in at least a dozen other states, including New York and California.
One postal worker described the demands of federal postal workers, who are statutorily prohibited from striking, as including that ICE “stop using postal property to stage their raids.” When asked whether there was anything else he wanted to say, he responded “Free Palestine.”
Amanda Stulman is a Senior Researcher and Attorney at the Legal Insurrection Foundation
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