Protestors march during a “Nationwide Shutdown” demonstration against ICE enforcement on 30 January 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images via CNN Newsource
By Emma Tucker, CNN
The phrase “ICE Out” echoed across the nation this weekend as protesters took to the streets, calling for an end to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Meanwhile, a preschooler and his father, taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement over a week ago, returned home following a judge’s ruling.
Protesters marked a second day of rallies and marches on Saturday (local time) after a nationwide strike on Friday (local time) prompted a shutdown of schools, workplaces and businesses from coast to coast. As demonstrations kicked off Saturday, President Donald Trump said he instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not to intervene in protests or unrest in Democratic-led cities unless local officials formally request assistance.
Noem echoed Trump’s push to ease tensions in Minnesota Sunday, telling Fox News, “We can always do better, and we learn from every situation that we’re in.” The comments mark a shift in tone from last weekend, when the secretary claimed Alex Pretti “committed an act of domestic terrorism” to justify his killing by ICE, despite the claim being contradicted by video footage or unsupported by any evidence presented so far.
People in major US cities continue to voice their solidarity with Minneapolis, where the killings of Pretti and Renee Good have transformed the national conversation on immigration enforcement and appear to have driven a tone shift from the White House in recent days. Demonstrations have continued in cities such as Minneapolis, New York, Los Angeles, Portland and Austin over Friday and Saturday.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Sunday that despite Trump dispatching border czar Tom Homan last week to shift strategy on the ground in Minneapolis and recent outreach to lawmakers by the administration, “ultimately, the President will be the decider on any policy changes.”
Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.
Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.
Thank you to everyone who demanded freedom for Liam. We… pic.twitter.com/XmUvXEthma
— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 1, 2026
In the courts, several legal battles challenging Trump’s immigration policies continue to play out, with a federal judge issuing a scathing opinion Saturday, ordering the release of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from a Texas detention centre.
Liam and his father returned to Minneapolis Sunday morning after being held for more than a week in Texas, according to Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro.
Liam’s detention became another flashpoint in the criticism over heavy-handed immigration enforcement tactics used by the feds and fueled mounting outrage from community members and officials alike.
Meanwhile, a different judge denied a request from Minnesota, St. Paul and Minneapolis to halt Operation Metro Surge – the federal immigration operation that has seen thousands of agents dispatched to the Twin Cities. Local and state officials sued the federal government earlier this month, calling the operation a “federal invasion” that involves warrantless arrests and excessive force.
While the Department of Homeland Security celebrated the ruling, which allows the operation to continue while the lawsuit plays out, city and state officials said they were “disappointed” by the decision while reasserting their commitment to pursuing the case.
– CNN