The Twin Cities DSA urged Minnesota workers to use Earned Sick and Safe Time to join anti‑ICE protests on Jan. 23, citing ESST rules that a one‑day absence does not require documentation. The group encouraged workplace organizing and asking sympathetic employers to close for the day. A separate Ice Out Of Twin Ports Instagram post recommended direct‑action tactics to intervene in arrests, and authorities reported two demonstrators were arrested. Media outlets requested comment from both groups.
Minn. DSA Urges Workers To Use Sick Leave For Anti‑ICE Protests; Separate Group Shares Direct‑Action Tactics
Protesters gather in front of the Minnesota State Capitol Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn., in response to the death of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer.(AP Newsroom)
The Twin Cities chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is encouraging Minnesota workers to use their local Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) to join statewide protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on January 23. Organizers frame the action as a labor-backed response to ICE activity in the region following the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Nicole Goodin in Minneapolis.
What Organizers Are Saying
In a post this week, Twin Cities DSA acknowledged that taking time off can be difficult for many workers and offered guidance to help people participate. The group emphasized workplace organizing and outreach to sympathetic employers, urging:
High school students gather for an anti-ICE protest outside the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 14, 2026.
"Workers have the leverage. When we withhold our labor, the economy grinds to a halt. No work, no school, no shopping. Only community, conscience, and collective resistance to ICE and injustice."
The post also encouraged workers to talk with friendly employers about closing for the day, citing economic impacts as a rationale for employer support.
Legal Context Cited
Slides attached to the DSA post reference Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time law and note that, under ESST rules, "if you are out for only ONE DAY, you DO NOT have to provide documentation of the reason for your absence to your employer." One slide specifically suggests: "Take a mental health day with ESST if you don’t want to explain why you’re not working."
Hundreds of students and allies gather in front of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., Jan. 14, 2026, to protest the ongoing Immigration Enforcement Operations in Minnesota and to denounce the killing of Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer
Tactics Shared By A Separate Group
A different organization, Ice Out Of Twin Ports, posted on Instagram ahead of related events and shared recommended intervention techniques for arrests. Those posts urged white participants to put their bodies between police and Black community members and described tactics aimed at disrupting arrests, including pushing or pulling officers off detainees, striking officers’ hands to break holds, opening police vehicle doors, and using improvised tools to remove zip-tie restraints.
Arrests And Responses
Local authorities reported that two demonstrators were arrested in Minnesota and accused of allegedly assaulting officers in connection with protests. Fox News Digital contacted both Twin Cities DSA and Ice Out Of Twin Ports for comment; at the time of publication, responses had not been published alongside the reporting.
Context And Considerations
Organized labor actions that rely on withdrawing labor are a longstanding tactic; organizers framed this event as coordinated activity with unions and community groups. The tactics described by Ice Out Of Twin Ports raise legal and safety questions about direct physical intervention during arrests and could expose participants to criminal charges or injury.
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