Thousands Protest Nationwide ICE Activity in Madison

University of Wisconsin students and Madison residents rally against immigration enforcement operations.

Jan. 31, 2026 at 9:55am

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Thousands of University of Wisconsin students and Madison residents participated in a general strike and protest on January 30th against ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the Twin Cities and across the country. The protesters gathered at Library Mall, marched to the Capitol, and listened to speeches condemning the "brutality of the U.S. immigration control regime" and calling for an end to the exploitation of immigrant labor.

Why it matters

The protest in Madison was part of a nationwide movement against increased ICE presence and activity, sparked by recent killings of immigrants by federal agents in Minneapolis and Chicago. The event highlighted growing concerns over immigration enforcement tactics and their impact on immigrant communities.

The details

The protest was organized by local groups including Madison Socialist Alternative and Madison Area Democratic Socialist of America. Participants held a 'no work, no school, no shopping' strike. The march from campus to the Capitol was delayed when the public address system lost power, forcing organizers to use megaphones instead. University officials stated that no request for amplification had been received, and the power was not intentionally cut.

  • The protest took place on January 30, 2026.
  • The march from campus to the Capitol was delayed by about 25 minutes.

The players

Xandear Godar

A member of Madison Socialist Alternative who spoke at the rally.

Halsey Hazzard

The co-chair of Madison Area Democratic Socialist of America, who gave a speech to the crowd.

John Lucas

The UW Assistant Vice Chancellor who stated that the power had not been intentionally cut during the protest.

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What they’re saying

“We had our PA system set up out in front of Memorial Library, and we were told that if we chose to use that — which we were welcome to — it would be a strike against our [registered student organization].”

— Xandear Godar, Madison Socialist Alternative member (badgerherald.com)

“The brutality of the U.S. immigration control regime is designed to keep us from seeing each other as human so that the corporations that run the show can keep exploiting immigrant labor. It's not immigrants draining our society, it is the billionaires and business owners who put their profits over human life.”

— Halsey Hazzard, Madison Area Democratic Socialist of America co-chair (badgerherald.com)

What’s next

University officials stated they will review their policies around amplification requests for future events.

The takeaway

The Madison protest was part of a nationwide movement against aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, highlighting the growing concerns over the human impact of these policies and the exploitation of immigrant labor by corporations.