Oakland County residents protest ICE action in Minnesota, at home

Protesters in Troy and Rochester Hills, Michigan, show solidarity with Minnesotans and opposition to ICE and Trump policies.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 7:31pm

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Dozens of Oakland County residents gathered at a Rochester Hills Walmart and lined busy intersections in Troy to protest recent ICE actions and Trump administration immigration policies. The protesters, organized by local groups like Stand Up Indivisible of Rochester, bought and returned items at the Walmart to show they believed ICE agents had been present at the store. In Troy, hundreds of protesters braved the cold to hold signs and pass out coffee and candy at a busy intersection, calling for an end to the "brutality of the deportations" and Trump's use of national emergencies.

Why it matters

The protests in Oakland County reflect growing grassroots opposition to the Trump administration's hardline immigration enforcement tactics, which have included high-profile ICE raids and the killing of a Minnesota resident by an ICE agent. The demonstrations show how local communities are mobilizing to voice their concerns about the impact of these policies on immigrant families and to pressure elected officials to take action.

The details

In Rochester Hills, protesters with Stand Up Indivisible of Rochester bought and returned items like salt, ice melt, and ice scrapers at a local Walmart, claiming they believed ICE agents had been present at the store earlier in the week, though this could not be confirmed. In Troy, hundreds of protesters bundled up to line a busy intersection, holding signs and passing out refreshments to show solidarity with Minnesotans and opposition to ICE and Trump's immigration policies. The Troy Democratic Club has organized several protests at this location over the past year.

  • On January 31, 2026, protesters gathered at a Rochester Hills Walmart and a Troy intersection to demonstrate.
  • The Troy Democratic Club has organized protests at the Troy intersection on the first and third Saturdays of each month over the past year.

The players

Stand Up Indivisible of Rochester

A local grassroots organization that organized the protest at the Rochester Hills Walmart.

Troy Democratic Club

A local political group that has organized protests at the Troy intersection over the past year.

Justine Galbraith

The vice chair of the Troy Democratic Club.

Guy Desrochers

A 70-year-old Auburn Hills resident who has attended 16 protests over the past year in opposition to Trump's immigration policies.

Joseph Brainovich

A Rochester resident who has attended about 20 protests since March 2025, saying "it seems like the country's sort of slipping away from us."

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What they’re saying

“You can't really block the sidewalk or block the entrances so we thought, we'll just come in the store and shop and return. It's a statement, and I hope they listen. This is our community. We don't want ICE here and we certainly don't support this store if they're helping, if they are collaborating.”

— Mary Ellen Cameron Scott, Co-leader of Stand Up Indivisible Rochester (freep.com)

“No one here is anti-law and order or anti-law enforcement. But we're all here because we know immigration policy can be carried out with humanity and dignity and without violence and certainly without murder.”

— Justine Galbraith, Vice chair of the Troy Democratic Club (freep.com)

“All these attacks on these poor immigrants that are just trying to get by and make a living and then also arresting U.S. citizens. It's just moronic and wrong. The more we get in his (Trump's) way now, the more fearful he'll be of doing it here.”

— Guy Desrochers (freep.com)

What’s next

The Troy Democratic Club plans to continue organizing protests at the intersection of Big Beaver Road and Rochester Road on the first and third Saturdays of each month to maintain pressure on elected officials and the Trump administration over immigration policies.

The takeaway

The protests in Oakland County reflect the growing grassroots opposition to the Trump administration's hardline immigration enforcement tactics, with local community groups mobilizing to voice their concerns and pressure elected officials to take action. These demonstrations show how citizens are taking to the streets to defend immigrant families and push back against policies they see as inhumane and unjust.