Even in the midst of ICE-y conditions across the US, our communities are banding together like never before. Neighbors in Minnesota are protecting immigrant families, states are terminating agreements with ICE, and Congress is rejecting the Trump Administration's budget cuts. Let's take a look at the wins from last week and the good news to celebrate:
Renee Nicole Good GoFundMe Reaches $1.5 Million: The GoFundMe for Renee Nicole Good closed after raising over $1.5 million from more than 38,500 donors worldwide. The overwhelming response proves that when tragedy strikes, community shows up—and Renee's legacy of kindness is being honored by strangers across the globe.
Hilton Hotel Booking Protest: Organizers in Minneapolis are coordinating a mass booking protest against Hilton hotels housing ICE agents—fully booking rooms with flexible cancellation rates, then canceling last-minute to leave hotels empty and ICE without accommodations. The Sunrise Movement is leading the effort, targeting specific hotels and encouraging participants to tell Hilton exactly why they're canceling. This is grassroots economic activism at its finest.
Moms Stand Watch for ICE Outside Minnesota Schools: Parents, neighbors, and school staff across the Twin Cities are mobilizing to stand guard outside schools during pickup and drop-off times, watching for ICE agents. Minneapolis Public Schools canceled in-person classes and offered e-learning through February 12th, while parent groups are coordinating transportation and grocery delivery for immigrant families afraid to leave their homes.
Protests and Sit-ins at Target: A large group of protesters gathered inside a Target store in West St. Paul, singing anti-ICE songs and demanding that Target bar ICE from using its parking lots. This follows a week of escalating actions against Target, including a sit-in by 100 faith leaders at headquarters and a coordinated "salt return" protest where shoppers bought and returned salt (because salt melts ice) at stores across the metro.
Minnesota Pizza Shop Delivers Free Food to Vulnerable Families: A Minnesota pizza joint, Wrecktangle Pizza, has raised $83,000 to deliver free food to vulnerable families amid the ICE crackdown, turning their business into a mutual aid hub for communities afraid to leave their homes.
Monique Limón Makes California History: Democratic State Senator Monique Limón of Santa Barbara was formally sworn in as California's Senate President Pro Tempore, becoming the first Latina, first woman of color, and first mother to hold the position.
Colorado Right-to-Repair Law Takes Effect: Colorado's new right-to-repair law went into effect this month, requiring manufacturers to provide parts, tools, software, and documentation for consumers and independent repair shops to fix electronic devices, including phones, laptops, printers, and appliances. The law also restricts "parts pairing"—the software practice that prevents installation of replacement parts—marking a major win against planned obsolescence.
L.A. County Creates "ICE-Free" Zones: The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to bar immigration enforcement officers from county-owned spaces, creating "ICE-free" zones following escalating incidents of violence during the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Local governments are drawing lines in the sand, declaring that some spaces will remain safe for all community members.
Bucks County Sheriff Terminates ICE Agreement: Newly sworn-in Democratic Sheriff Danny Ceisler immediately terminated Bucks County, PA's agreement with ICE, ending the program that gave local officers authority to carry out immigration enforcement duties. Ceisler argued the agreement made residents less safe by discouraging immigrant communities from reporting crimes or testifying in court, and signed an order prohibiting officers from asking about immigration status.
Congress Rejects Trump's Science Budget Cuts: Congress delivered a major rebuke to President Trump's proposed budget cuts, agreeing to keep funding for NSF, NASA science, and DOE research programs instead of implementing the 47-55% cuts the administration requested. The National Science Foundation will see only a 3.4% reduction instead of 55%, and NASA science missions will receive a 1.1% dip compared to the 47% cut Trump wanted.
Trump Administration Restores Planned Parenthood Funding: The Trump administration agreed to unfreeze $27.5 million in federal funding to Planned Parenthood and 15 other family planning organizations after the ACLU sued over the cuts, which had jeopardized care for 842,000 patients across the country. The ACLU filed to voluntarily dismiss their lawsuit after funds were restored.
VOA Funding Included in Congressional Spending Bill: Congress reached a bipartisan deal to fund Voice of America at approximately $653 million—more than four times the $150 million Trump requested to "support the orderly shutdown" of U.S. international broadcasting operations. The spending bill would reverse Trump's executive order that froze budgets and terminated grants for VOA, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Radio Free Asia.
Buddhist Monks Receive New Vehicle After Crash: The Buddhist monks walking for peace across the US had their vehicle destroyed in a collision. Shortly after, a Texas small business owner donated a fully-insured Toyota Rav4 to the group. Osbaldo Durán, a roofing company owner, saw the news and felt compelled to help, outfitting the vehicle with new tires, safety lights, and a full tank of gas.
Sacred Cherokee Mound Returning to Eastern Band: The Noquisiyi Mound in Franklin, North Carolina, is one step closer to returning to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians after the town council voted unanimously to transfer ownership. This sacred site was part of a Cherokee mother-town hundreds of years before the founding of the United States. As the Initiative's executive director said, "Places can go home"—and after centuries of displacement, this mound is finally going home to its people.
Celebrities Wear Anti-ICE Pins at Golden Globes: Celebrities including Mark Ruffalo, Wanda Sykes, Natasha Lyonne, Jean Smart, and Ariana Grande wore "ICE OUT" pins at the Golden Globes. The pins were organized by Working Families Power and Maremoto, distributed through grassroots networks at pre-show parties, with organizers pledging to continue the campaign throughout awards season.
Ex-Arizona Lawmaker Sentenced for Forged Signatures: Former Republican Arizona lawmaker Austin Smith, who served as a leader for Turning Point Action and questioned election integrity, pleaded guilty to using forged signatures—including a dead woman's—on his nominating petitions for a 2024 primary election. Smith had previously sponsored proposals to ban mail voting and complained about "political elites breaking election laws" in campaign ads. The irony is almost too perfect: the man who built his platform on election fraud claims is now a convicted election fraudster.
ICE List Alleges DHS Whistleblower Leaked Agent Identities: The founder of ICE List, a website that publishes names of ICE and Border Patrol agents, claims a Department of Homeland Security whistleblower provided personal information for approximately 4,500 federal agents and employees, including 2,000 frontline immigration enforcement officers. The site's founder—who operates from the Netherlands—says they plan to publish "the majority" of verified names.
