Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez voiced "full support" for a planned nationwide anti‑ICE shutdown but said her congressional office will remain open to handle immigration casework. Organizers have urged a Friday boycott of schools, work and shopping in response to two deadly shootings in Minneapolis tied to federal immigration operations. The incidents—Alex Pretti’s Jan. 24 shooting and Renee Good’s Jan. 7 death—have intensified calls for coordinated national protests and scrutiny of ICE and Border Patrol tactics.
AOC Backs Nationwide Anti‑ICE Shutdown but Keeps Her Office Open to Serve Immigrant Families
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voiced support for a nationwide anti-ICE "national shutdown" protest while saying her congressional office would remain open.(Getty Images)
Representative Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez (D‑N.Y.) said she gives her "full support" to a planned nationwide anti‑ICE protest while clarifying that her congressional office will remain open to handle urgent immigration casework and community needs.
Organizers of the "National Shutdown" have called for a day of protest on Friday—advocating "no school, no work and no shopping"—to demand an end to what they describe as aggressive federal immigration enforcement following two deadly shootings in Minneapolis linked to federal agents.
Organizers' Message
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she supports nationwide anti-ICE protests but will not shut down her office, citing ongoing constituent and immigration casework.
"The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN," the campaign said on its website, urging coordinated local actions and large‑scale mobilization.
Ocasio‑Cortez's Position
Ocasio‑Cortez, who has been an outspoken critic of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, wrote on Instagram that while she endorses national mobilizations, her office will remain open because it handles "crucial casework and immigration cases for the community." She said the office will "continue community support and defend immigrant families" even as she publicly supports protests, general strikes and other mass movement work.
What Sparked The Protests
Demonstrators hold signs during a protest in response to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis earlier in the day Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Los Angeles.
The campaign and its supporters point to two recent fatal shootings tied to federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. Alex Pretti, a 37‑year‑old Department of Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on Jan. 24 while recording federal enforcement activity. Renee Good was fatally shot on Jan. 7 by an ICE officer; the Department of Homeland Security has said the officer fired in self‑defense after Good used her vehicle in a way that posed a threat.
Thousands of demonstrators marched through downtown Minneapolis on Jan. 23 in an "ICE Out of MN: Day of Truth and Freedom" rally, one day before Pretti's death. Organizers and participants have accused ICE and Border Patrol of entering communities to intimidate and detain residents, language that helped fuel calls for a nationwide shutdown.
Response And Next Steps
The developments have intensified scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement practices in Minnesota and prompted calls for coordinated protests nationwide. Media outlets have sought comment from Ocasio‑Cortez’s office; she has publicly affirmed support for protest movements while maintaining that her office must stay open to serve constituents directly affected by immigration enforcement.
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