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ICE‑Out Demonstrations Escalate in Washington as DHS Funding Lapse Persists

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Protests Hit Bellevue and Tacoma Amid Federal Funding Gap Demonstrators gathered on Saturday, Feb 22, 2026, with dozens assembling at a Bellevue intersection and a larger crowd converging in downtown Tacoma, demanding an end to ICE operations while the Department of Homeland Security remains partially unfunded [1]. Organizers such as Sally S and Stan Shikuma warned that ICE continues to conduct rapid deportations across the Seattle area despite the shutdown [1]. Participants braved rain, held signs, and invoked First Amendment rights, with activist Shay Shay emphasizing free speech as their sole tool [1].

ICE Operations Continue Uninterrupted Despite Unpaid DHS Staff The funding lapse left TSA officers and Coast Guard personnel working without pay, yet ICE enforcement and deportations persisted under prior appropriations [1]. Non‑profit trackers confirmed that removal flights still departed from Tacoma’s Boeing Field, indicating that ICE’s logistical capabilities remain intact [1]. Advocacy leaders highlighted concerns about sick detainees and opaque health information within detention facilities [1].

Activists Link Local Demonstrations to Emerging National Racial Reckoning CNN notes that anti‑ICE protests in Minneapolis have expanded into a broader multiracial movement, reflecting a new phase of racial activism distinct from the 2020 BLM surge [2]. The rise of anti‑ICE actions coincides with the Trump administration scaling back its aggressive immigration enforcement, prompting activists to focus on ICE as a symbol of systemic bias [2]. Training efforts now span Chicago, Los Angeles, and Ohio’s G92 coalition, illustrating a coordinated national network [2].

Public Opinion Shifts After High‑Profile ICE Incidents ICE raids targeting legal residents and the killings of white Tacoma residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti have altered polling, increasing opposition to the administration’s immigration stance [2]. These incidents, combined with the visibility of anti‑ICE rallies, have intensified calls for policy reform and heightened scrutiny of ICE’s role in racialized enforcement [2]. The evolving sentiment suggests a potential turning point in the national conversation on immigration and race [2].

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Timeline

2020 – The killing of George Floyd sparks the largest U.S. protest movement, drawing record white support and prompting former President George W. Bush to ask how to end systemic racism [4].

2021 – Momentum from the 2020 protests fades, and the national racial reckoning largely stalls [4].

June 2025 – The first “No Kings” wave erupts in nearly 2,000 U.S. locations, responding to federal raids, National Guard deployments to Los Angeles, and a military parade marking the Army’s 250th anniversary [13].

October 2025 – The second “No Kings” wave expands to about 2,700 sites, adding grievances over immigration policy, midterm promises, press restrictions, and retaliation against opponents [13].

May 24 2025 – A Seattle police officer is recorded saying “we’re here to f--- people up” before a MayDay USA rally, illustrating a hard‑line crowd‑control posture that later fuels criticism of law‑enforcement tactics [26].

Jan 7 2026 – ICE agent shoots and kills U.S. citizen Renee Good in Minneapolis; DHS claims self‑defense while the incident fuels nationwide outrage [21].

Jan 8 2026 – Hundreds gather near Seattle’s federal building, chanting “ICE out” and calling the Minneapolis shooting “outright murder,” a phrase voiced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal [30].

Jan 10 2026 – Thousands march in Minneapolis and other cities after the Good shooting; protesters also rally in Portland, Durham, Los Angeles, and Omaha, while three Minnesota congresswomen are briefly allowed inside the Whipple federal building before being asked to leave [24][29].

Jan 10 2026 – Portland demonstrators protest a Border Patrol shooting of two undocumented immigrants, with about 200 people present and one arrest for pushing an officer [28].

Jan 11 2026 – Over 1,000 anti‑ICE demonstrations are planned nationwide, spurred by DHS releasing a three‑minute video of the Minneapolis shooting moments before the fatal gunfire [22].

Jan 12 2026 – Residents of The Villages, Florida, organize a rally against Trump’s immigration enforcement, citing the Minneapolis killings as a catalyst [21].

Jan 13 2026 – Washington state weighs a potential ICE lawsuit as detainee numbers at the Tacoma facility double, while Seattle police confirm ICE‑related arrests and Mayor Katie Wilson condemns them [27].

Jan 15 2026 – DHS Secretary Kristi Noem says ICE may require identity validation at protests, prompting legal scholars to warn the practice likely violates First‑Amendment protections [20].

Jan 16 2026 – Tensions rise in Minneapolis after the Good shooting, with photo‑galleries showing confrontations, tear‑gas use, and a man being pushed to the ground by federal officers [19].

Jan 17 2026 – Anti‑ICE protesters clash with a pro‑ICE group led by Jack Lang near Minneapolis City Hall; Lang leaves with visible head injuries [18].

Jan 18 2026 – U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez issues an 83‑page order restricting ICE’s use of pepper spray, arrests, and vehicle stops against peaceful demonstrators, ahead of planned weekend protests [3].

Jan 23 2026 – The Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building becomes a focal point of ICE‑related standoffs, with daily protests intensifying after Good’s death and activists reviving the “What Would Whipple Do?” rename campaign [17].

Jan 24 2026 – ICE’s “Operation Metro Surge” enters its seventh week; thousands of federal officers remain in the Twin Cities while Minneapolis businesses close and a cold‑weather protest draws thousands to the NBA arena [2]; the same day, federal agents kill ICU nurse Alex Pretti, prompting President Trump to soften rhetoric and appoint border “tsar” Tom Homan to lead the operation [1][12].

Jan 25 2026 – Seattle sees two coordinated actions: a traffic‑blocking protest on 2nd Avenue that halts southbound flow, and a broader anti‑ICE march across neighborhoods, both citing the Minneapolis killings as motivation [15][16].

Jan 27 2026 – Hundreds assemble outside Seattle’s federal building in a one‑hour, music‑filled “ICE out” rally, urging Senators Murray and Cantwell to block ICE funding [14].

Jan 28 2026 – Republican lawmakers publicly distance from Trump’s Minneapolis crackdown, demanding ICE and DHS testimony and transparency while Trump reshuffles operation leadership and a New York Times/Siena poll shows 61 % think ICE tactics have “gone too far” [1]; the same day, Indivisible announces a third “No Kings” protest for March 28, projecting up to 9 million participants [13].

Jan 30 2026 – Senate leaders secure a two‑week DHS stopgap to avert a shutdown, while a coordinated “No Work, No School, No Shopping” anti‑ICE shutdown is slated for Jan 30, with over 300 actions in 47 states [10][11]; journalists are arrested at a Minnesota church protest, and Trump labels nurse Pretti an “agitator” on social media [10].

Feb 1 2026 – Nationwide “ICE Out” protests intensify: a federal judge denies Minnesota’s request to halt Operation Metro Surge, allowing thousands of agents to stay; Judge Fred Biery orders the release of 5‑year‑old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father from a Texas detention center; Chicago’s mayor signs an executive order to document ICE misconduct and a coalition of nine district attorneys pursues state prosecutions [5]; thousands march in Portland, where federal agents deploy tear‑gas, pepper‑balls, and flash‑bangs, prompting Oregon Governor Tina Kotek to condemn the “indiscriminate and unlawful” tactics [5][8].

Feb 1 2026 – Seattle educators lead a “ICE out” march that blocks Capitol Hill traffic, gathering up to 3,000 people and receiving mayoral support through an executive order allocating $4 million for immigrant‑defense services [9].

Feb 2 2026 – Portland Mayor Keith Wilson demands ICE resign and vacate the city, announces a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents, and denounces federal tear‑gas deployment; President Trump posts on Truth Social urging ICE and Border Patrol to be “very forceful” in protecting federal property [7].

Feb 15 2026 – Analysts argue that ICE raids targeting legal residents and the killings of white victims Good and Pretti shift public opinion, framing the anti‑ICE movement as a new racial reckoning distinct from the 2020 BLM surge [4].

Feb 22 2026 – Demonstrations erupt in Bellevue and Tacoma, Washington, demanding an end to ICE operations amid a partial DHS shutdown that leaves many agency workers unpaid but allows ICE deportations to continue [6].

Mar 28 2026 (planned) – Organizers of the “No Kings” coalition expect up to 9 million participants nationwide, aiming to demonstrate “support for Minnesota and immigrant communities” and to oppose what they call a “secret police force” [13].

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