Protests Erupt Over ICE Crackdown And Minneapolis Deaths

On a brisk Sunday afternoon in Montreal, the usually subdued streets outside the U.S. Consulate pulsed with the sound of chanting and the sight of protest signs. Demonstrators, bundled in winter coats and boots, gathered to voice their outrage over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown and the recent deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis. The protest in Montreal was just one of many erupting across North America, as public anger grows over the Trump administration’s hardline immigration tactics and the mounting human toll they’ve exacted.

“From Minnesota to Montreal, we won’t stop until ICE falls,” echoed through the downtown core as protesters marched from the consular building on Sainte-Catherine Street to Dorchester Square. According to CBC, the demonstration was sparked by the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—two U.S. citizens fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis in January 2026. These tragic incidents have become rallying points for those opposed to the current administration’s aggressive enforcement policies.

Michael Lipset, a Montreal resident originally from Minneapolis and one of the protest organizers, didn’t mince words when addressing the crowd. “The violence ICE is bringing upon people within the United States will not be tolerated anywhere,” he declared, as reported by CBC. Lipset and others also called out Canadian businesses—such as Vancouver-based Hootsuite, Ontario’s Roshel, and Montreal’s GardaWorld—for maintaining commercial ties with ICE. “We will not tolerate Quebec’s complicity and Canada’s complicity in that violence by way of corporate contracts with ICE,” Lipset added, urging an end to what he described as indirect support for U.S. immigration enforcement.

The anger on display in Montreal mirrors the frustration simmering inside the United States, particularly in places like the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas—the largest ICE family detention facility in the country. According to the Associated Press, attorney Eric Lee witnessed a protest inside the Dilley center on February 1, 2026. Detainees, including families and children, erupted in chants of “let us out, let us out,” as guards ordered visitors to leave and locked down the facility. The 2,400-bed center, which detains thousands of immigrants swept up in ICE raids, has become a flashpoint for criticism over deteriorating conditions and indefinite detention.

Lee, who represents several detained families, described what his clients have called “a deliberate policy of cruelty.” He detailed reports of contaminated water—used by mothers to mix baby formula—food infested with bugs and debris, and regular verbal abuse by guards. “The water is putrid yet mothers have to mix baby formula with it,” Lee told AP. “Food has bugs and debris in it. Guards are regularly engaging in verbal abuse.”

Conditions at other ICE centers have drawn similar scrutiny. At a Texas facility near El Paso, detainees allege routine beatings by guards and being forced to use clothing to mop up sewage water in areas where meals are served. In Baltimore, a viral video showing dozens of people crammed into a holding cell sparked a lawsuit by immigration advocates, who described “inhumane conditions.”

Despite these reports, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin categorically denied any wrongdoing. “Any claims there are inhumane conditions at ICE detention centres or overcrowding are false,” she told AP. “ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards.” McLaughlin insisted that detainees receive three meals a day, clean water, and access to healthcare—adding that many “have received [the] best healthcare … in their entire lives.”

Yet, attorneys and civil rights groups paint a starkly different picture. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says thousands of immigrants are being held indefinitely without due process or the opportunity to argue for release in a bond hearing. Lee represents a mother and her five children who have been detained in Dilley for nearly eight months with no clear path to freedom. The family, related to Mohamed Sabry Soliman—accused of an attack in Boulder, Colorado—has denied any involvement in the incident and fully cooperated with authorities. Friends and teachers in Colorado Springs have campaigned for their release, emphasizing their right to due process under the U.S. Constitution.

The family’s eldest child, Habiba Soliman, turned 18 while in detention and was separated from her family soon after. In a letter from inside the facility, she wrote, “At that moment, everything that we had left was completely shattered. It’s hard to watch our lives and dreams be destroyed while we are just waiting helplessly.”

Meanwhile, the crisis has grown more acute at the Camp East Montana facility near El Paso, Texas—the largest ICE detention center in the U.S., with capacity for up to 5,000 detainees. According to Reuters, three deaths have occurred there in just the past two months. The ACLU has gathered testimony from over 40 detainees, alleging physical and sexual abuse by guards, including severe beatings that have sent some to the hospital. One particularly harrowing account details a teenage detainee who required hospitalization after guards assaulted him. The El Paso County medical examiner recently ruled the death of a Cuban immigrant at the facility a homicide caused by asphyxiation, following a struggle with guards.

Outside the detention centers, communities are grappling with the aftermath. In Laredo, Texas, Reverend Michael Smith has opened his doors to more than 240 immigrants released from ICE custody in recent weeks. Many arrive exhausted, sick, and bewildered, clutching plastic bags with their few belongings. “People arrive uncertain of what’s next. They don’t know where they stand in the system, they have no idea because nothing’s been explained to them, other than ‘here’s your new court date’,” Smith told AP. Despite warnings from loved ones about possible government reprisals, Smith remains steadfast. “It shouldn’t be about dogma or policy … it should be as simple as help thy neighbour.”

Public opinion is shifting. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found support for President Trump’s handling of immigration has dropped to 39 percent—the lowest since he took office. While many Republicans still back the administration’s push for mass deportations, one in five believe ICE agents have gone “too far.” The decline in support comes amid widespread protests, not only in the U.S. but also in cities like Montreal and Vancouver, where demonstrators have targeted companies with financial ties to ICE.

Despite the backlash, the Trump administration is forging ahead. With a $45 billion budget approved by Congress last year, plans are underway to purchase more than 20 warehouses to convert into immigration jails. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem argues that expanding detention capacity is necessary to speed up deportations and reduce the time individuals spend in custody. In a statement, DHS said new facilities would be “very well structured” and meet federal standards. “Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE has new funding to expand detention space to keep these criminals off American streets before they are removed for good from our communities,” the department asserted.

As protests continue to ripple across borders and the debate over immigration intensifies, the future of ICE’s enforcement tactics and the fate of thousands in detention remain uncertain. For now, the voices from Dilley to Montreal—inside and outside the wire—are growing louder, demanding both accountability and humanity.