Today, this Friday, January 30, activists across the country are planning a coordinated “National Shutdown” protest, urging people to pause work, school, and shopping in solidarity with those opposing recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The call to mobilize intensified after two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis, which sparked mass demonstrations, economic blackouts, and widespread demands for accountability and reform.
On January 23, thousands marched through freezing temperatures in Minneapolis as part of a “Day of Truth & Freedom” protest. Hundreds of local businesses closed in solidarity, while clergy, labor unions, and community members showed up together to demonstrate the power of collective action. What began as a response to specific incidents has quickly grown into a broader national conversation about immigration enforcement, community safety, and the role of civic engagement in shaping public policy.
Friday’s planned action is not just about one day of protest. It reflects a longer history of organizing and advocacy aimed at creating more inclusive and equitable systems. Across the country, activists are calling not only for changes to enforcement practices, but also for legislative reform, transparency, and protections for immigrant communities. These movements draw strength from decades of civic participation — and women have consistently been at the center of that work.
Historically, women have played a crucial role in expanding civic participation and influencing legislation, even when they were excluded from formal power. From early labor organizers and suffragists to modern advocates for immigrant justice, women have often been the ones organizing communities, sustaining movements, and translating public pressure into policy change.
Today, women continue to shape civic life at every level of government. Leaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Pramila Jayapal have used their platforms to challenge immigration enforcement practices and push for humane reform at the federal level. Their work keeps immigration policy visible in national discourse and highlights how public pressure can influence legislative priorities.
At the state and local level, figures such as Ayanna Pressley and Letitia James have advocated for policies that protect immigrant communities, limit cooperation with aggressive enforcement, and expand access to legal and social resources. Their efforts show how systemic change often happens through sustained advocacy rather than a single moment of protest.
Beyond elected office, women have been instrumental in grassroots organizing and movement-building. Advocates like Ai-jen Poo have connected immigration reform to labor rights and economic justice, emphasizing how enforcement policies disproportionately affect women, caregivers, and families. Similarly, organizers such as Cristina Jiménez have mobilized immigrant youth and women through organizations like United We Dream, turning lived experience into civic power.
Women’s influence also extends into corporate and institutional spaces. Nonprofit leaders, legal advocates, and business executives have increasingly pushed organizations to take public stances on immigration policy, worker protections, and ethical engagement with government agencies. These efforts highlight that civic engagement is not limited to protests or voting — it also operates through economic pressure, workplace advocacy, and institutional accountability.
The ICE protests planned for this Friday reflect more than immediate outrage. They represent an ongoing civic response shaped by generations of women who have organized, legislated, and advocated for structural change. By connecting current events to this broader legacy of women’s leadership, it becomes clear that movements are built not only in moments of crisis, but through sustained participation and collective action.
As students at Stevens and members of the Hoboken community consider their stance this Friday, it’s worth remembering that civic life doesn’t only unfold on the national stage. It is shaped every day by people — often women — who choose to stand up, speak out, and work toward a more just future.