Anti-ICE organizers in Minnesota call for a statewide strike

Union leaders are leading a call for a statewide strike

Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, president of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation AFL-CIO, hopes fellow residents take a stand.

“We need everyone to pay attention,” Glaubitz Gabiou emphasized. “We think that on January 23rd, if we all stand together in solidarity and mass mobilization, we can get the attention of the folks who need to step in and make this chaos stop.”

Federal officials, including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, appeared on weekend national talk shows to defend ICE activity in Minnesota. But this month’s fatal shooting of Renee Good and social media videos showing aggressive ICE enforcement has resulted in more outrage.

Glaubitz Gabiou noted they hope to send a message to all political leaders and notable businesses with influence. Especially, retail chains like Target who have remained silent, even as some workers are detained while on the job.

Glaubitz Gabiou argued business leaders should not worry about retaliation from the Trump administration.

“Even our best and brightest business community leaders, who have invested in our community for so long, are a part of this pawn game that Trump is playing,” Glaubitz Gabiou contended.

Meanwhile, unions decry the federal government for reportedly investigating Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Federal officials claim Walz and Frey are impeding operations by criticizing ICE activity.

Glaubitz Gabiou claims false labels are being applied to the pushback. He says the reality is people are buying whistles to alert their neighbors and using their phones to film ICE arrests. In his view, it is rooted in peace, love, and determination.

“It is true grit of the folks that are showing up,” Glaubitz Gabiou stressed. “The people who live in these neighborhoods – these are not paid protesters. We cannot understate enough the amount of community support and neighborhood support that has been built.”