The coordinated movement, calling for "no work, no school, no shopping" in protest of ICE enforcement tactics, comes amid heightened tensions following two fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minnesota this month. Organizers from the Students for Justice in Palestine chapters and other campus-based activist groups have mobilized thousands of participants through social media, promising to "bring this country to a halt" until federal immigration enforcement is dismantled.
At the center of the organizing effort appears to be a funding network controlled by Neville Roy Singham, a former tech magnate now based in Shanghai who has allegedly funneled millions through a complex web of nonprofit organizations to activist groups across the country. Multiple congressional committees have launched investigations into Singham's financial connections to groups including the Party for Socialism and Liberation, ANSWER Coalition, and The People's Forum—all identified as key organizers of the current anti-ICE demonstrations.
Federal investigators are examining whether Singham, whom House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) has described as having "extensive ties to the Chinese Communist Party," is violating U.S. law through what committee documents describe as "dark-money networks" supporting domestic unrest with possible foreign direction.
"Americans have a First Amendment right to protest, but not when they're potentially funded and directed by foreign adversaries seeking to destabilize our country," said Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), who joins Comer in investigating the financial trail behind the demonstrations. "We must determine whether these protests represent genuine grassroots activism or a coordinated influence operation."
The current wave of protests gained momentum following the death of Renee Nicole Good on January 8, shot by an ICE agent during what law enforcement officials describe as an attempted vehicle attack against agents. Tensions escalated further with the January 24 shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. That incident sparked violent clashes, with federal agents using munitions and pepper balls against protesters who authorities say attacked law enforcement with shovels and broom handles.
Critics of the anti-ICE movement point to the involvement of Sarsour, a controversial activist with a history of inflammatory statements, as evidence of an increasingly radicalized protest movement. Sarsour, who helped organize the 2017 Women's March, has partnered with student protesters from National Students for Justice in Palestine chapters—another group allegedly receiving funding through Singham's network.
"What we're seeing is an axis of professional activists, extremist organizations, and potentially foreign-funded propaganda operations coordinated to undermine legitimate law enforcement operations," said security analyst Michael Swart, founder of a private security firm that declined entreaties to participate in the protests. "The tactics being employed—blocking roadways, obstructing federal operations, threatening authorities—are illegal regardless of the cause."
Minnesota has emerged as the epicenter of the tensions, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey declaring that his city "does not and will not enforce federal immigration laws"—a stance that prompted President Donald Trump to threaten deployment of federal troops under the Insurrection Act last week.
At a press conference outside the Minnesota State Capitol, protest organizers rejected allegations of foreign influence and defended their tactics as constitutionally protected.
"This movement comes from students, from immigrants, from people who are tired of seeing their communities terrorized by federal agents," said Aisha Hassan, a University of Minnesota student who helped organize protests on campus. "No one is paying us to be here. We're here because our friends, our family members, our classmates are living in fear."
The planned nationwide economic shutdown calls for participants to walk out of workplaces and classrooms on Friday, with organizers promising to target businesses with ICE contracts and disrupt transportation hubs in major metropolitan areas. Federal law enforcement officials have reportedly begun preparing for potential disruptions, with the Department of Homeland Security issuing internal memos about ensuring continuity of essential services.
As tensions mount ahead of Friday's planned actions, members of both parties have called for de-escalation, though for different reasons. Democratic Representatives Jasmine Crockett and Joaquin Castro announced plans to visit an ICE detention center, while Republican lawmakers have demanded the Justice Department investigate whether organizers should be prosecuted for impeding federal law enforcement operations.
"Violence against federal agents cannot be tolerated, but neither can we allow legitimate First Amendment activity to be chilled by overbroad accusations of foreign influence," said constitutional law expert Jonathan Alper of Georgetown University. "The critical question courts will face is where protected protest ends and criminal behavior begins—especially if sophisticated financial networks and outside funding are involved."
Meanwhile, federal and state authorities are preparing for potential disruptions as early as this week, with law enforcement sources indicating they are monitoring social media for signs of coordination between protest groups and their financial benefactors.
"What began as campus-based activism has potentially evolved into something far more concerning if congressional investigations confirm foreign involvement," said Oversight Committee staffer speaking on condition of anonymity. "This may be an inflection point for how we view the intersection of First Amendment rights and foreign influence operations on U.S. soil."
