Nationwide boycott targeting ICE planned for Friday
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios. Photos: Getty Images
Activists nationwide, including Chicago, are calling for no work, no school and no shopping on Friday, to protest ICE's aggressive enforcement.
The big picture: Organizers of the national shutdown are pushing for the boycott as part of a larger protest movement against ICE in the wake of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, as well as the killings of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park and Keith Porter Jr. in Los Angeles.
The intrigue: Friday's action falls on the same day Congress faces a partial government shutdown as Senate Democrats — and some Republicans — have said they'll reject any spending bill that includes Department of Homeland Security funding.
- ICE is supported by last year's massive funding bills, but Democrats are still pushing for reforms at DHS, including requiring warrants for arrests and banning agents from wearing masks.
State of play: Student groups, including the local Students for Justice in Palestine, as well as activists for immigrants' rights and local labor unions, have endorsed Friday's call to action.
- Some Chicagoans are zeroing in on specific companies to boycott, including Minneapolis-based Target.
- The People's Lobby is planning to protest a West Loop Target on Thursday night because they say the company has allowed ICE access to its stores to carry out its operations.
Reality check: The action has not attracted a widespread closure of Chicago businesses, and it's unclear how many individuals locally will opt in.
Flashback: Hundreds of businesses in Minneapolis closed last week during a similar boycott and protest that attracted tens of thousands of people in below-freezing temperatures.
Between the lines: Backers of similar movements emphasize spending boycotts of corporate stores and brands rather than local businesses.
- Chicago Public School students who participate Friday will not be issued an excused absence for not attending school, a spokesperson tells Axios.
- Illinois is an at-will state, which means private employers could terminate someone from participating in a protest, and any worker would need their absence excused or would need to take PTO if they didn't show up Friday.
Zoom out: Friday's planned action is not the same as The General Strike, which is led by a coalition seeking to get 11 million people to sign a "Strike Card" pledging not to work until a long list of demands around immigration enforcement, environmental justice, racial equality and other social justice issues.
- The number represents about 3.5% of the U.S. population, which General Strike members say is the threshold to impact change through protest.