TL;DR: The Washington Post revealed ICE received $75 billion through Trump's spending bill: $30 billion for operations, $45 billion for detention facilities. Minnesota unions are calling for a statewide walkout on January 23. The Pentagon has 1,500 active-duty troops on standby for Minneapolis. And DOJ is investigating Minnesota's governor and Minneapolis mayor for "obstruction."
Top Story: ICE's Price Tag Exposed
The Washington Post dropped a detailed breakdown today of exactly how much money Congress handed ICE to fuel the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
The numbers are staggering. Trump's "big, beautiful bill" gave ICE $75 billion total: $30 billion for operations, $45 billion for detention facilities. That's on top of regular annual funding. The money flows through 2029, conveniently when Trump leaves office.
What did that buy? ICE doubled its workforce from 10,000 to 22,000 officers in months, thanks to $50,000 signing bonuses. The agency has arrested and deported about 600,000 people since January 2025. Another 1.9 million have "self-deported," according to DHS.
The administration's goal: 100,000 detentions per day. One million deportations per year. The funding is now on autopilot.
Detention numbers tell the story. ICE held 40,000 people at the start of 2025. By December, that hit 66,000, the highest ever recorded. The target is three times that.
Minnesota: Strike Coming, Troops Waiting
Statewide Walkout Planned for January 23
Minnesota's unions, faith leaders, businesses, and community organizations are calling for a statewide day of action this Friday. No work. No school. No shopping. They're calling it "ICE out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom."
Rally at 2 p.m. in Minneapolis. Restaurants and businesses plan to close. It's the kind of coordinated economic protest that hasn't been attempted in years.
The momentum is real. The January 10 protest in downtown Minneapolis drew 10,000 people, and that was before the latest escalations.
1,500 Troops on Standby
The Pentagon confirmed 1,500 active-duty Army soldiers have prepare-to-deploy orders for possible deployment to Minneapolis. Governor Walz mobilized the state National Guard on January 17.
Trump has publicly warned he could invoke the Insurrection Act if local authorities don't "maintain order." That's not an empty threat when troops are already staged.
DOJ vs. Minnesota Officials
The Department of Justice is investigating Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for possible "obstruction of federal law enforcement." Minnesota and the Twin Cities had already sued DHS to halt ICE operations in the state.
A federal judge on Friday restricted ICE agents from using certain crowd-control measures against peaceful protesters and from arresting demonstrators. DOJ is appealing.
Church Protest Under Investigation
DOJ is also investigating an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church whose pastor allegedly has ties to immigration enforcement. Protesters disrupted services at the Southern Baptist church.
Renee Good: The Shooting That Sparked This
Two weeks ago, ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis. She had just dropped her 6-year-old son at school.
DHS claimed she was "weaponizing" her SUV against an agent. Video footage doesn't support that claim, according to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Good's car was turning away from Ross when he fired three shots: one through the windshield, two through the driver's window.
Good was an American citizen. A mother of three. A poet. Governor Walz proclaimed January 9 "Renee Good Day."
Her killing was the ninth time ICE agents opened fire on people since September 2025. It came one day after DHS deployed 2,000 agents to Minneapolis.
Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois introduced articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on January 14, citing obstruction of congressional oversight, violations of public trust through warrantless arrests, and self-dealing.
The Bigger Picture
Minneapolis and St. Paul are sanctuary cities. They limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. That's why they're targets.
Trump said it plainly in a recorded interview: Minnesota is "corrupt" and "crooked" because officials "accurately reported election results." That's in the lawsuit Minnesota filed against DHS.
This isn't about immigration. It's about surveillance, control, and punishment of dissent. The $75 billion budget, the doubled workforce, the facial recognition technology, the social media monitoring: it's all connected.
And now there are troops waiting.
What to Watch
- January 23: Minnesota's statewide day of action. Will the walkout materialize? Will businesses actually close?
- Insurrection Act threat: Trump has the troops positioned. What triggers deployment?
- DOJ investigations: Will federal prosecutors charge state and local officials for protecting their residents?
- Federal court: Will the restrictions on ICE crowd-control hold on appeal?
What You Can Do
If You're in Minnesota
The day of action is Friday, January 23. Organizers are asking: no work, no school, no shopping. Rally at 2 p.m. in Minneapolis.
Know Your Rights
ICE cannot enter your home without a warrant signed by a judge. An ICE administrative warrant is not the same thing. You can decline to answer questions.
Document Everything
If you witness ICE activity, record video when safe. Note badge numbers, vehicle plates, locations. This evidence matters in court.
Support Legal Defense
Organizations like ACLU Minnesota and Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota are providing legal support. They need funding.
References
- Washington Post: Trump's ICE force is sweeping America (January 20, 2026)
- MPR News: Labor unions call for day of no work, school or shopping (January 20, 2026)
- Military.com: Active Duty Troops Placed on Standby (January 19, 2026)
- CNN: How ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shot Renee Good (January 17, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Killing of Renee Good
- Labor Notes: Will ICE Ignite a Mass Strike in Minnesota? (January 2026)
- Brennan Center: Big Budget Act Creates a "Deportation-Industrial Complex"
- American Immigration Council: Immigration Detention Expansion in Trump's Second Term