Khaberni - Protests condemning the actions of the Immigration and Customs Agency continued in the United States, with thousands taking to the streets in the city of Los Angeles, California in protest against the agency's policies, demanding the withdrawal of Immigration and Customs Agency teams from residential neighborhoods.
The protests witnessed tensions and confrontations between demonstrators and security forces in front of a federal detention center used by Immigration and Customs Agency teams.
The protesters called for a national strike, urging Americans not to go to work, not to send their children to schools, and to refrain from shopping.
Continuing protests
Demonstrations continued last Friday in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, following the recent shooting of two Americans by agency elements.
Hundreds of demonstrators chanted against the Immigration Agency in front of the city's government building last Friday, despite temperatures falling to about 14 degrees Celsius below zero.
The scope of the protests in the United States is generally expanding, as Al Jazeera correspondent Ahmed Hazim reported that dozens of students and activists gathered despite the freezing temperatures, in a solidarity movement with ongoing protests for more than two weeks in Minneapolis, condemning the behavior of immigration management elements inside American cities.
The killing of nurse Alex Pretty in Minneapolis on January 24th sparked widespread outrage, especially after an initial report refuted the narrative of the Department of Homeland Security, which claimed that the victim was armed, before it later became apparent that these claims were false.
Investigation into Pretty's death
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch announced that the Justice Department opened a federal investigation into the killing of Pretty, confirming that they are examining all details that could shed light on the events of that day.
Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, claimed at the time that Pretty had brandished his weapon and was seeking to cause as much harm as possible, killing law enforcement elements, before new scenes of Pretty emerged undermining the official narrative.
Detention of journalists
The American authorities detained two journalists on Friday, one of whom was working with "CNN," based on an order from the Justice Department amid the protests in Minneapolis.
Justice Minister Pam Bondi announced through the X platform the detention of "Don Lemon," the former presenter at "CNN," and three others in Los Angeles, including an independent journalist and a former Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives.
Lemon, who was later released, was arrested due to his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service in a church in Minnesota, according to American authorities.
The Committee to Protect Journalists "CPJ" condemned a "brazen attack" on the press, while California Governor Gavin Newsom, known for his sharp criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump through X, wrote that "Russian President Vladimir Putin would have been proud of you."
In the first official comment from a senior official in the European Union, Vice President of the Commission Teresa Ribera on Friday denounced what she described as "horrific scenes" from the United States.
She expressed her shock "at seeing how each of Renee Gud, Alex Pretty, and little children, women, and men were treated with blind violence."
Trump: A silent majority supports me
Despite increasing signs of negative reactions to his strict campaign on immigration in Minnesota, U.S. President Donald Trump said he believes that a "silent majority" of Americans support his efforts, adding "elections have consequences," asserting that his strict campaigns on immigration have made cities safer.
Trump was asked whether he believed the skirmishes between protesters and federal law enforcement officers in Minnesota were a sign of a civil war, he claimed that the demonstrators in Minneapolis were "paid rebels" funded by unknown donors, but he provided no evidence or details, only saying, "We almost know who is funding this."
Last week, Trump promised to partially withdraw masked elements deployed in Minneapolis to arrest undocumented immigrants. After statements seeking to contain the tension, Trump on Friday revisited his sharp stances, describing Pretty as "inciteful."
The events in Minnesota reflected on the U.S. Congress, as Democrats refuse to adopt a budget for the Department of Homeland Security without reforms affecting the federal immigration police.
