Is there protests in the red states against ice?

Executive summary — Yes, but with important caveats. National organizers and media reporting show anti‑ICE protests and a coordinated “national shutdown” planned across the country, and there are documented demonstrations in states that vote Republican; however, the scale, concentration and political context of those actions skew heavily toward urban and traditionally blue areas, and reporting does not establish uniform or equally large protests in every red state ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

1. National plans and claims: a coordinated effort that says “all 50 states.” Organizers behind the January actions are explicitly calling for a nationwide shutdown and for demonstrations “in all 50 states,” with groups like 50501 and coalitions promoting a Friday shutdown and Saturday street actions under banners such as “ICE Out of Everywhere,” and national labor and advocacy groups endorsing days of action ^{[1] [2] [4]}.

2. Evidence of protests in Republican‑leaning places. Independent reporting shows protests and visible actions occurred in places typically regarded as red or swing territory: Reuters filmed or reported hundreds of protesters in Asheville, North Carolina — a city inside a reliably Republican state at statewide levels — and organizers reported student walkouts in Santa Fe, New Mexico and demonstrations in other non‑coastal areas ^[3]. Local coverage and photo roundups also document protests in Texas, including an Austin march and spray‑painted messages in Pflugerville, indicating anti‑ICE activity in the Lone Star State ^[5].

3. Larger concentrations still in urban and blue states. The clearest, largest mass actions have centered on Minnesota (after the Minneapolis shooting that sparked a general strike), major metropolitan areas and traditionally progressive cities where coalition organizing and labor support are strongest; national outlets list high‑profile demonstrations in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis and show mass mobilizations there ^{[6] [7] [8]}. Coverage and organizer materials emphasize metro hubs because those are where turnouts, labor closures and media attention concentrate ^{[6] [2]}.

4. How organizers and mainstream media frame “nationwide.” Media packages and organizer statements often present the weekend as a nationwide wave — a helpful framing for recruitment — and some outlets repeat the claim that actions are planned across the country or in all 50 states ^{[1] [2]}. That framing is accurate in the sense of coordinated intent and lists of planned events, but the reporting does not document identical scale or frequency of demonstrations in every red state, and it is likely that many rural or heavily conservative counties saw no organized activity that weekend ^{[2] [1]}.

5. Pushback, political messaging, and risk narratives. Right‑wing politicians and commentators have denounced the protesters — Fox9 cites conservative leaders labeling organizers as “terrorists” while organizers dispute that characterization and point to video evidence in specific incidents ^[9]. At the same time, mainstream commentary warns organizers that the national events will test whether large anti‑ICE demonstrations can remain peaceful under heightened federal enforcement and potential clashes, an implicit critique of tactics and public safety planning ^[4].

6. What reporting does not show and the limits of available data. The sources compile many examples and national lists but do not provide a comprehensive, geocoded count of every protest by county or state; therefore it cannot be concluded from this reporting that every red state saw comparable protests, only that demonstrators and planned actions existed in a number of Republican‑governed states and localities ^{[1] [3] [5]}. National organizers’ aim of an “all 50 states” day of action is documented, but ground truth varies by locality and is underreported in smaller conservative towns ^{[1] [2]}.

Bottom line. Reporting shows organized anti‑ICE protests and a coordinated national shutdown aimed at actions “in all 50 states,” and there are documented demonstrations in several Republican‑leaning states and cities (Asheville, parts of Texas, New Mexico) — but the intensity and visibility of those protests are uneven and remain concentrated in urban, progressive strongholds; available sources demonstrate presence in red states but do not prove equivalent scale everywhere ^{[1] [3] [5]}.