From Minneapolis to DC, Nationwide Protests Rock US Over Trump Administration’s Actions

Washington: On the first anniversary of US President Donald Trump's second term, massive protests were seen across the country against his strict immigration policies. On Tuesday, thousands of workers, students and people associated with social organizations took to the streets. Marches were taken out from big cities to small towns. The atmosphere became more tense when the news of an American citizen woman being shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis came to light. Along with this, another video had gone viral, in which agents were seen pulling a citizen out of the car.

Why did the Minneapolis incident enrage people?

On January 7, 2026, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was shot inside her car by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Renee was the mother of one child and was an American citizen. Federal agencies claimed that she tried to hit the agent with a car. However, the people present at the spot raised questions on this statement. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the action an unnecessary and excessive use of force.

What was “Operation Metro Surge”?

After this incident, the administration started “Operation Metro Surge” in Minneapolis. Under this, more than 2,000 federal agents were deployed in the city. After this there were large-scale arrests. The protests turned violent in many areas and there were clashes between police and protesters. President Trump had described Renee Good as a “domestic terrorist” and warned of invoking the Insurrection Act if the situation worsens.

What was the situation in the rest of the country?

Large rallies were taken out in cities like Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland. Hundreds of people took to the streets even in small cities like Asheville, North Carolina. In videos viral on social media, protesters were seen chanting slogans like “No ICE, No KKK, No Fascist America.” In many university campuses, students boycotted classes and walked out.

What explanation did the Trump administration give?

The government said that it had got the mandate in the elections to take strict action against illegal immigrants. However, surveys like Reuters and Washington Post had revealed that a large number of American citizens did not agree with the actions of ICE. This also included a section of Republican voters. The administration halted immigrant visa processing for 75 countries and increased ICE's budget to $28.7 billion, deepening the controversy.