Cleveland businesses join nationwide boycott and walkout protesting ICE enforcement, with closures and Public Square rally
Local actions align with a coordinated national “shutdown” call
Several Cleveland businesses are changing normal operations Friday, January 30, 2026, as part of a coordinated national boycott and walkout aimed at protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices. The local participation includes full-day closures, temporary pauses in sales, and public demonstrations intended to reduce commerce and amplify attention on immigration enforcement.
The Cleveland actions are tied to a broader national effort described by organizers as a voluntary “shutdown,” urging participants to avoid work, school and non-essential spending. In Cleveland, a rally is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Public Square, where a coalition of faith leaders, students and activists has promoted a walkout and public gathering.
Which Cleveland businesses are participating, and how
Two businesses highlighted for participation are taking different approaches while emphasizing disruption of regular buying and selling:
Algebra Tea House, a Palestinian-owned diner in University Circle, plans to close for the day.
Worts and Wards, a holistic wellness shop in Ohio City, plans to open as a community space but not conduct sales, while continuing to pay staff.
Both businesses have framed their participation as a deliberate choice to prioritize civic engagement over revenue for the day.
What is driving the nationwide boycott and protests
The national call for a work-and-shopping stoppage follows heightened scrutiny of federal immigration enforcement after multiple deaths that protest organizers attribute to federal agents. Among the deaths cited by Cleveland organizers are Renee Nicole Good, who was shot in Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, and Alex Pretti, a Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse who was shot in Minneapolis by a Border Patrol officer. Organizers have also pointed to the death of Keith Porter Jr., who they say was shot on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles by an off-duty ICE agent.
Organizers in Cleveland have connected the local walkout and rally to demands for structural changes in immigration enforcement, including calls to abolish ICE. Nationally, the protest strategy emphasizes economic pressure—encouraging consumers to avoid purchases and encouraging workplaces and schools to see reduced participation for the day.
How the Cleveland rally is expected to unfold
The downtown demonstration is scheduled for Friday afternoon at Public Square, with organizers promoting a walkout format that can include students and workers leaving normal schedules to attend. Public Square has been used repeatedly in recent years as a focal point for large civic demonstrations, and organizers have described this event as part of an ongoing, coordinated movement rather than a single-day action.
“No work, no school, and no shopping until our cities are safe and ICE terror has ended,” one student organizer said while promoting the Cleveland walkout plans.
Federal officials overseeing ICE operations in Ohio did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment ahead of the planned actions.