America Resists! February 15-21, 2026
Your weekly dose of good news from the resistance 💌
Welcome to America Resists! a series from How to Resist that connects the dots between inspiring stories from the resistance this week and what ordinary folks can do next to help save democracy, protect the vulnerable, build community, and create the future we want.
Thanks for reading!
M-.
America Resists! is published every Sunday.
Data Shows Growing Mass Mobilization Against Trump
Organized anti-Trump protests have surged to four times the levels seen at the same point in his first term, with at least 10.3 million people participating since January 2025 and likely many more. Data from the Crowd Counting Consortium and community-led efforts like ICE Watch in Minnesota show a broad, durable, and increasingly grassroots-driven pro-democracy movement challenging the administration’s agenda. These actions, combined with strong electoral overperformance in special elections, suggest that opposition is translating into both public demonstrations and political outcomes.1
How can we sustain the momentum? Join or help organize local, ongoing protest networks that maintain consistent public pressure. Create community monitoring or rapid-response teams to track harmful policy actions. Build coalitions to coordinate large-scale actions on symbolic or strategic dates. Focus on voter engagement between election cycles to translate resistance into electoral gains.
‘Not My President’ - President’s Day Protests
Flash Mob Blocks 5th Ave on President’s Day
Hundreds of protesters filled 5th Avenue in front of Trump Tower, blocking traffic in a coordinated flashmob organized by Rise and Resist and the anti‑Trump network 50501, using music, drums, and signs to challenge President Trump’s immigration crackdowns and power‑grabbing efforts. Demonstrators joined similar Presidents Day actions nationwide, showing solidarity through peaceful direct action and emphasizing public responsibility to resist harmful federal policies.2
New Yorkers Give Trump the Finger
Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered outside Trump Tower on Presidents’ Day to do what we’ve all wanted to do at some point: give Trump the middle finger. In a nonviolent, high‑visibility protest organized by Rise and Resist, using humor and collective action to oppose President Trump’s immigration policies and attacks on marginalized communities. The demonstration maintained a celebratory energy with music and drums, drawing attention to concerns about aggressive ICE operations and encouraging civic participation.3
America Resists ICE
Kansas Communities Train to Resist Increasing ICE Activity
In response to escalating ICE activity, the Kansas City–based grassroots group Boots on the Ground Midwest has trained 3,000 residents in community defense and rapid‑response techniques to legally observe and document immigration enforcement. Interest surged after the ICE occupation of Minneapolis, prompting volunteers to expand neighborhood watch networks and provide mutual aid—everything from groceries to school pickups—to families afraid to leave their homes.4
Communities Fight New ICE Detention Facilities
Across the country, communities have organized public pressure campaigns that convinced multiple private developers to halt planned transfers of warehouses to the federal government for conversion into ICE detention centers. Residents, local officials, and activists have used unified public opposition to deter new facilities, as seen in Kansas City, Oklahoma City, Virginia, and Mississippi. Grassroots participants included local residents, community activists, and organizations such as the ACLU.5
What can I do about warehouses being turned into ICE detention facilities? Organize consistent public pressure campaigns targeting property owners. Build broad coalitions, including bipartisan local officials. Encourage city councils to pass resolutions opposing harmful projects. Leverage economic pressure, such as boycotts. File public‑records requests to increase transparency and strengthen advocacy. Work with legal experts to identify any local regulatory tools that might apply.
New Jersey Residents Push Back on ICE Warehouse Plan
Around 500 Roxbury residents protested plans to convert a warehouse into an ICE detention center, emphasizing that the space is unfit for people and signaling growing public resistance to President Trump’s mass‑deportation agenda. Their efforts, combined with similar opposition elsewhere, have already led ICE to back away from some proposed locations. Grassroots resistance included local community organizers and concerned residents leading neighborhood‑based protests.6
Successful resistance strategies used:
What’s working here? Community pressure has already caused ICE to retreat from some sites. Large community protests, public messaging that reframes the warehouse as unsafe for human use, bipartisan local government resolutions against new ICE facilities, and visible signage and sidewalk demonstrations can add pressure to corporations/property owners.
Michigan Communities Reject ICE Expansion
Michigan lawmakers, community advocates, and grassroots groups—including Indivisible Downriver United 734 and Voters Not Politicians—rallied to oppose new ICE facilities planned for Romulus, Southfield, Grand Rapids, and Detroit. Speakers condemned the expansion as dangerous for immigrant communities, citing fears of increased arrests, family separations, and abusive detention conditions, while urging residents to protest at the upcoming Romulus City Council meeting.7
Clergy and Immigrant Rights Activists Push Property Company to Reject ICE Deal
Clergy and immigrant‑rights activists in Denver rallied outside Highlands REIT properties, urging the company to drop its ICE and GEO Group contract for reopening the 1,200‑bed Big Horn prison as a detention center and to stop profiting from President Trump’s mass‑deportation agenda. Demonstrators, including leaders from First Congregational Church and Rejoice Lutheran Church, called for humane treatment, community accountability, and tenant awareness as they prepared a broader pressure campaign.8
What worked here? Community pressure has already caused ICE to retreat from some sites. In this case, tenant-focused canvassing educated folks on how their money funded harmful policies. Collective demands to meet with corporate leadership, clergy participation, and moral framing made this difficult for the property owners to ignore.
Student Resistance
Students Defy Crackdowns on Student Protests
Students in more than three dozen states have staged walkouts against the Trump administration’s deportation tactics, with particularly large actions in Texas despite threats from Gov. Greg Abbott to punish participating schools, teachers, and students. Hundreds of Texas students continued to walk out—organizing online, educating each other on their legal rights, and protesting ICE killings in Minnesota—even as officials threaten suspensions, arrests, and state takeovers of school districts.9
I want to do this at my school! Check out the National Youth Rights Association Guide to Organizing a Protest, Walkout, or Boycott, which will walk you through planning sit-ins, silent protests, walkouts, rallies, strikes, picketing, and boycotts. Successful walk-outs have the support of parents and community groups. Look for local grassroots organizations you can partner with for the event and also for long-term community organizing!
Virginia Students Persist Despite Suspensions
More than 300 Woodbridge High School students in Virginia were suspended after joining an anti‑ICE walkout opposing the Trump administration’s immigration tactics, part of a broader wave of youth‑led protests. While students at other schools avoided suspension by staying on campus, Woodbridge participants faced penalties for leaving school grounds—yet many say they remain committed to future activism. Additional student‑organized anti‑ICE protests are planned across at least nine more schools in the district.10
‘Signs of Fascism’ Protest At Auburn University
Over 120 protesters gathered on Auburn University’s campus for a “Signs of Fascism” demonstration organized by the local Indivisible chapter, denouncing ICE violence and broader abuses under the Trump administration. The event featured coordinated chants, sign‑making, and long‑term local protest traditions such as the daily Toomer’s Sit‑In. Participants emphasized peaceful protest, constitutional rights, and solidarity with affected communities, especially those in Minneapolis impacted by ICE shootings.11
Literal Signs of Fascism: Participants carried black signs with stark white text describing a feature of fascism that is being used by the Trump administration in America today.
400 San Antonio Students Hold Press Conference, Mutual Aid Drive, and March Against ICE
Around 400 students from more than 50 San Antonio schools held a press conference, mutual‑aid drive, and march to oppose local cooperation with ICE, continuing a wave of youth‑led anti‑deportation actions across Texas and the nation. Organized by San Antonio Students for Peace, the protest emphasized community resilience and resistance despite state threats of investigations, funding cuts, and school board takeovers.12
Labor & Economic Resistance
Workers and Tenants Threaten Rent Strike in Response to ICE-fueled Evictions in MN
Nearly 26,000 workers and tenants across Minneapolis and St. Paul have committed to launching what they describe as the largest U.S. rent strike in a century if the governor does not enact an eviction moratorium by March 1. Led by Twin Cities Tenants and five major unions—including SEIU Local 26, SEIU Healthcare MN/IA, UNITE HERE Local 17, ATU 1005, and CWA 7250—the effort responds to an eviction crisis intensified by President Trump’s federal immigration surge, which has caused economic disruption, racial profiling, and a sharp rise in displacement. Organizers say the coordinated strike is a necessary act of collective self‑defense to protect thousands of families facing imminent eviction under ongoing ICE operations.13
Dang! Now that’s action! The rent strike isn’t the only thing happening. Organizers and community members have also led sit-ins at the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, public demonstrations at the governor’s mansion, and mutual aid fundraising to support affected households. The power of unions is mighty, and this is a great example of coordinated economic disruption being used on behalf of vulnerable families.
Art & Music as Resistance
Singing the Resistance
About 100 members of Singing Resistance marched along Lake Street in Minneapolis, using bilingual songs and red balloons to spread love and solidarity while resisting increased ICE activity and supporting local businesses affected by recent unrest. Inspired by the civil rights movement, participants emphasized connection and compassion, inviting even ICE officers to reconsider their roles and join the community-centered effort.14
Can you carry a tune? Songs can be sung anytime, anywhere. Download the Resistance Songbook here. It only takes a few people to start a sing-along!
MN Artists Share Protest Art in St. Paul
Nearly 50 Minnesota artists collaborated with ArtYouHeart to create the “ICE Out Protest Poster Show” at Can Can Wonderland, showcasing visual resistance to Trump’s Operation Metro Surge. The exhibit, assembled in just weeks, features protest posters whose sales benefit the ACLU, Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, and the International Institute of Minnesota. Community enthusiasm led organizers to extend the show, indicating widespread public support for immigrant‑rights activism.15
US Releases Protest Song American Obituary
U2 released a surprise five‑song EP, Days of Ash, featuring “American Obituary,” a protest track responding directly to Trump’s Operation Metro Surge and the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. The EP joins a growing wave of musical resistance, as both local Minnesota artists and major performers like Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg release songs condemning ICE violence and federal crackdowns. Bono said the songs “couldn’t wait.”
Faith as Resistance
Faith Leaders March for Immigrant Justice
Hundreds of St. Louis‑area clergy, parishioners, and community allies marched across the Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge to oppose Trump‑backed immigration enforcement and support families harmed by ICE. Organized faith leaders led prayers, songs, and calls for reform, while groups like the United Congregations of Metro East and the St. Louis Rapid Response Coalition brought attention to the fear, overpolicing, and family separations facing immigrant communities. Speakers emphasized solidarity, mutual aid, and moral responsibility to defend neighbors targeted by aggressive federal actions.16
Clergy Win Access to Support Detained Migrants
Catholic and interfaith leaders entered the Broadview ICE facility in Broadview, IL, for the first time in months after a federal judge issued an injunction requiring the Department of Homeland Security to restore their access. Members of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, who previously sued over blocked visits during Trump’s immigration blitz, provided communion, ashes for Ash Wednesday, and pastoral care to recently detained migrants, emphasizing dignity and religious freedom. Clergy vowed to continue visits and spoke of the emotional toll of enforcement on families and faith communities.17 18
Clergy Call on ICE to “Lay Down Your Arms”
Dozens of interfaith clergy from across Connecticut gathered outside Hartford’s ICE field office on Ash Wednesday and the first day of Ramadan to denounce Trump‑era immigration enforcement and call on agents to “lay down your arms.” Faith leaders read a letter signed by more than 200 religious leaders, condemning family separations, community terror, and killings linked to ICE operations, while urging agents to reclaim their humanity and end cruelty. Organized groups such as New Haven Rising joined in the prayer‑based rally, emphasizing love, justice, and moral responsibility.19
How can I do something like this with my faith community? Look for organizations that train communities in nonviolent resistance and connect them with your church/synagoge/mosque. Build local networks with faith leaders, neighbors, and immigrant‑rights groups to prepare for ICE activity. Frame actions in principles of faith and wear symbols of faith.
Legal & Judicial Resistance
Supreme Court Rules Against Trump’s Tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s sweeping tariffs in a 6–3 ruling, finding he exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to tax imports from more than 100 countries. Companies had already begun filing lawsuits and refund claims—actions that now form a rapid legal backlash against the administration’s economic policies. This decision represents a significant judicial check on Trump’s attempts to expand unilateral executive power over trade.20
LGBTQ+ Advocates Sue Trump After Stonewall Flag Removal
LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and a local community organization filed a federal lawsuit after the Trump administration ordered the Pride flag removed from the Stonewall National Monument on Feb. 9, arguing the action was unlawful and discriminatory. New Yorkers quickly mobilized, holding public protests and pushing elected leaders—including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Chuck Schumer—to defend the site’s history and demand restoration of LGBTQ+ representation.21
Republicans and Democrats Pushback Against Trump’s Agenda at Munich Security Conference
At the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Democratic and Republican lawmakers openly challenged President Trump’s attacks on allies, urging European nations to stand firm against his unpredictable foreign policy. Speakers such as Hillary Clinton, Gavin Newsom, Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez, Jeanne Shaheen, and Republican Thom Tillis emphasized unified international resistance, stressing that consistent pushback can limit harmful actions and protect democratic alliances.22
State Republicans Break with Trump, Join Communities to Push Back on Big Tech–Backed Data Centers
Republican state legislators in multiple states are breaking with President Trump by proposing pauses or restrictions on new data center construction in response to community backlash over rising utility costs, noise, land use, and tax giveaways. Local residents and some bipartisan lawmakers are pressing for protections that ensure tech companies bear the true costs of their developments, prompting companies like Microsoft, Anthropic, and OpenAI to begin agreeing to cover increased energy demands. Grassroots resistance has come largely from residents in affected towns and local community groups pushing their legislators to act.23
What made this a success? Organizers mobilized neighbors to voice concerns directly to state and local legislators, which forced legislators to introduce moratorium bills on new data center construction and demand accountability from tech companies benefiting from public resources.
Groups Sue to Protect Historical Truth
Six national organizations—including the National Parks Conservation Association and the American Association for State and Local History—filed a lawsuit to block the Trump administration from removing exhibits and signs about slavery, climate change, and Indigenous history from U.S. national parks. The suit argues the Interior Department is violating congressional mandates by censoring science and erasing key historical narratives, following Trump’s 2025 executive order targeting so‑called “revisionist” history. The legal challenge is essential for defending public access to accurate history and preventing widespread ideological alteration of national park sites.24 25
Judge Slams Trump’s ICE Crackdown
A federal judge issued a sweeping ruling accusing the Trump administration of “terrorizing immigrants” and violating court orders, citing the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti as evidence that federal enforcement has “extended its violence on its own citizens.” The judge ordered Homeland Security to restore due‑process protections, including bond‑hearing access and attorney phone calls, after finding the administration continued illegal mandatory detentions despite multiple prior rulings. Thousands of immigrants have filed habeas petitions in response, and judges in several states have reprimanded the administration for defying court orders.26
Democrats to Boycott Trump’s State of the Union
A group of Democratic lawmakers plan to boycott President Trump’s upcoming State of the Union and instead attend a “People’s State of the Union” rally on the National Mall, continuing a pattern of public dissent against his administration. The event is organized by MoveOn and MeidasTouch, with participants highlighting concerns over corruption, immigration crackdowns, and the ongoing government shutdown. Lawmakers say the rally offers an honest counter-narrative to Trump’s address.27
Veterans Sue to Stop Trump’s Monument Plan
Three Vietnam War veterans and a historic preservationist filed a lawsuit to block President Trump’s proposed 250‑foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, arguing it would damage historic sight lines and undermine the solemn experience of visiting the cemetery. The suit, brought with support from Public Citizen, seeks to halt construction until Congress and federal review panels grant approval—steps the administration has not taken as Trump pushes to fast‑track the project. Polling shows the plan is broadly unpopular, with only 21% public support.28
What’s Happening Next Week?
There are 1,220+ protests, vigils, rallies, multistate protests, social gatherings, banner drops, outrage hours, silent protests, pop-ups, honk & wave, bridge protests, postcard writing, sit-ins, boycotts, marches, Women in Black, Moral Mondays, Visibility Brigade, Tesla Takedowns, and other events scheduled across the country for the week of February 21-27, 2026 (list | map)
Nothing going on near you? Follow local organizations on social media, check out virtual opportunities below, or grab some friends and find something meaningful to do in your community!
Virtual Opportunities
Virtual events, meetings, petitions, and trainings can be found on mobilize.us
Feb 24, 2026: People’s State of the Union
“At the State of the Union (SOTU), Republicans in Congress are once again bending the knee to Trump and hanging their constituents out to dry. Nobody should participate in Trump’s vanity project, and that’s why Democratic leaders, MoveOn members, and everyday Americans most impacted by Trump’s chaos are coming together for the People’s State of the Union.
Join MeidasTouch and MoveOn as we present the People’s State of the Union alongside elected officials, partners, allies and directly impacted Americans.”
Register to join the live stream
Want more from How to Resist?
Check out these posts:
📌 45 Acts of Non-Compliance for Ordinary People
📌 35+ Ways America is Resisting ICE (that go beyond protest)
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