On Friday, Vanessa Beardsley is inviting her community to come hang out with cats and drink coffee at her Minnesota business, Catzen Coffee — but they won’t be able to spend any money.
Catzen is participating in a January 23rd economic shutdown, in which activists are calling on Minnesotans to close their businesses, not report to work or school, and refrain from shopping in protest of ICE’s presence in the state.
Beardsley said she “immediately” knew she wanted to “stand in solidarity with our fellow businesses and our state,” but didn’t want to completely close her doors. “We are not doing business,” she said, “but we will be open for people who just need a space to come and hang out.”
It’s unclear how widespread participation in the blackout will be or what impact it may have on ICE operations. Local news site Bring Me The News has compiled a running list of more than 200 businesses that have posted on social media that they will be participating. The shutdown, prompted by ICE officer Jonathan Ross’s fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, has been endorsed by a slew of regional labor unions, whose demands include ICE leaving the state and no additional federal funding for the agency.
“Working people, our schools and our communities are under attack. Union members are being detained commuting to and from work, tearing apart families,” Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, the president of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, said in a statement. “Parents are being forced to stay home, students held out of school, fearing for their lives, all while the employer class remains silent.”
ICE didn’t respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
In a statement, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said that the Trump administration’s immigration operations “have resulted in countless dangerous criminal illegals being removed from the streets.”
“Making American communities safer will create an environment in which all businesses can thrive in the long term and their customers can feel safe,” Jackson said.
“ICE gets beat up by stupid people, from leadership in Minnesota,” Donald Trump said in a speech at Davos this week. “We actually are helping Minnesota so much, but they don’t appreciate it. Most places do.”
In addition to the larger shutdown, there’s a march set to run through downtown Minneapolis at 2 p.m. CT. The state is expected to be under extreme cold warnings and extreme cold watch throughout the day on Friday, which might also keep Minnesotans home. Some local businesses are also opting to stay open, but planning to donate a share of — or all — of their profits to related causes.
“I understand why people are choosing to participate in the January 23 blackout, and I support those decisions,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement to Business Insider. “At the same time, our small businesses, especially immigrant-owned businesses, are under a lot of pressure right now, and they could really use our support. However you choose to show up, I hope we keep our neighbors and local businesses in mind.”
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