Protests against ICE continue in the USA.Image: keystone
The actions of the immigration authority ICE in the search for undocumented migrants once again drove demonstrators onto the streets in many places in the USA over the weekend. The latest developments at a glance.
Feb 1, 2026, 2:54 p.mFeb 1, 2026, 3:07 p.m
Judge orders five-year-old to be released
Meanwhile, a judge ordered the release of a 5-year-old boy who was taken into custody with his father by ICE in Minneapolis two weeks ago and taken to a detention center in Texas.
The two should now be released by Tuesday at the latest, according to the court document on the decision. The judge did not rule out that the end of proceedings in this specific case could include deportation, but this would have to be resolved in an orderly and more humane way than the current one.
Court criticizes “daily deportation quotas”
The court in Texas referred to “daily deportation quotas” that ICE must adhere to without regard to the welfare of the child. According to previous information from the Department of Homeland Security, the operation was directed against the father, who is said to come from Ecuador and be in the USA illegally. The operations and raids, some with officers wearing masks, are part of the rigorous deportation policy of Donald Trump’s US government.
In addition to the five-year-old’s case, the death of two US citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, who were shot by officers during protests against ICE’s actions in Minneapolis in January, also triggered a huge wave of outrage across the country. There were demonstrations again in several large US cities on Saturday.
Anti-ICE protest in San Francisco.Image: keystone
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen surprisingly sings in Minneapolis
In Minneapolis, US rock legend Bruce Springsteen (76, “Born in the USA”) made a surprise appearance with his protest song about the fatal shootings of Good and Pretti. On Friday evening (local time) he sang “Streets of Minneapolis” during an event – a protest anthem against the controversial deportation raids. Springsteen describes the officials in the song as “King Trump’s private army.”
ICE raids in Minneapolis are allowed to continue for now
There have been protests against the raids in Minneapolis for weeks. The US government had sent a particularly large number of emergency services to the city – against the wishes of the democratically governed municipality and the US state of Minnesota. The city of Minneapolis initially failed in court over the weekend to demand a stop to the deportation raids. A federal court judge in Minnesota rejected a request for a preliminary injunction. The reason given was that the plaintiffs had not adequately presented their arguments. The case itself continues in court, the judge only decided on the request for a preliminary injunction.
ICE is weighing on negotiations to end the partial shutdown
The dispute over the immigration authorities’ actions is also weighing on the negotiations over the future budget. Funding for several ministries and authorities expired on Saturday. The opposition Democrats had taken the protest against the ICE actions to the US Parliament and are trying to use the budget to force an abandonment of the controversial methods. At the last minute on Friday, the Senate decided on a compromise solution for follow-up financing, but that did not prevent the partial shutdown.
Democrats want reforms at ICE: No masks and body cameras
The general expectation is that the blockade will be resolved quickly. The spending package also needs a green light from the House of Representatives, which is not scheduled to meet again until Monday. The news portal “Politico” assumes that the partial budget freeze will last at least until Tuesday. And according to several US media outlets, it is also uncertain whether enough Democrats will actually agree to the spending package to get government business fully running again.
The Democrats have already ensured that Secretary Kristi Noem’s Department of Homeland Security only receives two weeks of interim funding for the time being. According to the “Axios” portal, members of the party let Republican Chairman Mike Johnson know at the weekend that their approval of the spending package was by no means guaranteed – due, among other things, to the lack of reforms to ICE and the border protection agency CBP (Customs Boarder Patrol). The Democrats want the ICE forces to no longer be allowed to appear masked when acting against migrants and to wear cameras on their bodies – so-called body cameras. (hkl/sda/dpa)