Is there protests in the blue states against ice?
Executive summary
Yes — widespread anti-ICE protests are occurring in Democratic-leaning (“blue”) states and cities, often as part of coordinated national actions, with large demonstrations and business shutdowns reported in places such as Minnesota, New York, California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and elsewhere [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Those mobilizations are both spontaneous responses to recent deadly encounters involving federal agents and planned “ICE Out” or “National Shutdown” days of action on Jan. 30–31, 2026 that organizers say will span hundreds of local events nationwide [6] [7] [3].
1. Scale and geography: protests are national but concentrated in blue urban centers
Reporting shows anti-ICE demonstrations happening across the country with especially large turnouts in traditionally Democratic urban areas — Minneapolis–St. Paul saw thousands and hundreds of businesses close in solidarity, New York and Chicago are named among cities with planned protests, and Southern California listed dozens of local actions tied to a nationwide “ICE Out” campaign [2] [8] [3] [9]. Organizers describe “hundreds of actions” for the Jan. 30–31 strike and say they have mobilized volunteer networks and partner groups in multiple states [6].
2. Immediate catalysts: shootings and federal deployments drove renewed intensity
The recent surge of demonstrations tracks directly to fatal shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis and other incidents cited by activists; those killings are repeatedly named by organizers as the reason for mass mobilization and legal and political challenges to ICE operations [4] [1] [2]. Local leaders and protesters also pointed to a broader federal deployment of immigration agents and perceived “occupation” language in Minnesota protests as intensifying outrage and prompting organized strikes and marches [1].
3. Tactics, targets and local flavor of protests in blue states
Tactics range from mass marches and economic shutdowns to campus walkouts and targeted corporate pressure campaigns; activists in Washington, D.C., for example, planned pressure on Target after an incident in the Minneapolis area, and campuses in Los Angeles saw student walkouts tied to the “ICE Out” effort [6] [3]. In Minnesota, clergy-led airport actions and business closures were significant features of the demonstrations, while Philadelphia-area activists are urging sanctuary policies and changes in local agreements with ICE [1] [5].
4. Political responses and competing narratives inside blue states
Blue-state officials and progressive electeds are split between public solidarity and cautious institutional responses: some local councils and state legislators are pursuing sanctuary or oversight measures, while national progressive figures have voiced support for protests even if some officials (for example, a congressional office) decline to fully participate in a shutdown [5] [10]. The federal administration and supporters frame ICE activity as law-enforcement necessary for public safety, which activists reject as violent overreach — that tension shapes how protests are covered and how local leaders respond [4] [1].
5. Opposition, counterprotests and limits of the coverage
There are documented counterprotests and confrontations promoted by right-wing activists in some cities, and coverage notes tense exchanges and arrests amid heightened police presence, signaling that opposition to anti-ICE demonstrations exists even inside blue metros [11]. Reporting across outlets emphasizes protests in blue areas but also notes actions in Republican-leaning towns, meaning opposition and support are geographically mixed [8]. The supplied reporting does not provide comprehensive statewide tallies or long-term trend data, so assessment of sustained blue-state protest levels beyond the January events is limited to the cited snapshots [6] [7].
6. Bottom line: protests against ICE are active and visible in blue states now, but dynamics vary locally
Multiple major outlets and local reporting confirm robust anti-ICE activity in Democratic-leaning cities and states tied to coordinated national days of action and to immediate catalysts such as on-duty shootings, with varied tactics from strikes to legal and policy pushes; however, the intensity, official responses and presence of counterprotests differ by city and the long-term momentum beyond the January actions requires more data than provided here [6] [1] [2] [3] [5].