Overview
- Hundreds gathered outside ICE’s Washington headquarters on Feb. 11 in a demonstration organized by Bend the Arc and T’ruah, with organizers saying more than 100 rabbis participated and over 60 organizations co-sponsored.
- Protesters blew shofars, used whistles popularized by Minneapolis organizers to signal ICE activity, chanted, sang, and held signs invoking Jewish scripture.
- Rabbinic leaders including Sharon Kleinbaum, Jill Jacobs, and Sarah Bassin denounced ICE practices, with Bassin reciting the names of 43 people she said died in ICE detention over the past year.
- Coordinated rallies were also held in Minneapolis and Boston, following a three-day rabbis’ convening in Washington and earlier clergy trainings in Minneapolis focused on resisting DHS operations.
- Speakers urged ICE employees to quit and highlighted corporate roles in the detention and deportation system, citing Signature Aviation’s support for detainee transport flights.