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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Lex McMenamin

ICE-free zones and blocked liquor licenses: US cities fight back against immigration raids

Protest beat buckets to make noise outside a hotel where ICE agents are believed to be staying in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 5 February 2026.
Protester beat buckets to make noise outside a hotel where ICE agents are believed to be staying in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on 5 February. Photograph: Go Nakamura/Reuters

As federal immigration agents flooded the streets of Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles over the past year, cities across the US have been at the frontlines of strategizing over how to protect their residents, should Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents come to their communities.

From Philadelphia to Oklahoma City and Oakland, California, many cities are developing new – and creative – tactics to prepare for and push back against ICE. Here’s a look at a few.

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