Link to this toolkit: https://surj.org/MNtoolkit

Updated: Wed, Jan 21, 2026

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SURJ: ICE OUT OF MN

Why ICE out of MN

ICE is on rampage across the country– and we’re angry, heartbroken… and ready to fight back. We are answering a call from the folks on the ground in Minneapolis to demand ICE leave Minnesota.

There’s a particular role white people can play in this work. First, as people not explicitly targeted by Trump and ICE’s racism, we have a responsibility to do what we can to step up and defend our neighbors. And second, now is a time when tons of white people are getting activated around ICE’s attacks. The racism they use against immigrants is aimed at radicalizing white people. And– after Renee’s death, support for ICE has never been lower in white communities. We have a responsibility to step into action at this moment- and to bring as many of our white friends and neighbors with us as possible– to defend our immigrant neighbors now, AND to shift systems to dismantle ICE entirely and put that money back into our communities.

Hilton has continued to house ICE agents during their reign of terror in Minneapolis. That makes Hilton a key corporate partner in enabling ICE to function, and allows them to profit off the suffering of the entire Minnesota community. If we can push Hilton to drop their contract with ICE, we can remove a key pillar of support from ICE operations – and show other hotels what happens when you’re complicit with ICE.

These actions will amplify the visibility of the statewide shutdown ’Day of Truth and Freedom" happening in MN on Friday, January 23, and apply pressure to a key corporate supporter of ICE.

Here’s what it could look like for you:

You invite a few friends to join you. You make or print some signs, head to your local Hilton, and spend an hour or two outside the hotel.

You hand out flyers, talk with people coming and going, and explain why Hilton’s relationship with ICE matters. It’s legal for you to do this on a sidewalk. If you choose to go on Hilton property, we recommend you leave once you are asked to by Hilton security. If you don’t leave after a warning, you may risk trespassing charges. You’re visible, calm, and grounded, showing that resistance is something regular people can take part in.

After the action, you invite folks to a potluck or gathering. You debrief, get to know each other better, share how it felt, and talk about what comes next. That’s how a one-time action turns into real connection and ongoing organizing.

How to host an action

1. Review the Toolkit and fill out the Commitment Form

• Start by skimming the toolkit. It includes guidance and steps for planning an action, flyers and graphics, safety and security tips. Everything you need!
• Let us know you’re in by filling out this commitment form.
• If you want to connect with other SURJers planning an action, join our Slack: start by joining our SURJ Member Slack, then join the channel for Solidarity Action planners to share your plans and hear what others are doing.

1. Find an action or decide to host one!

• Visit https://surj.org/mnactionmap and scroll to the map of actions to check if there’s already one near you planned.

• If there IS an action near you, you can plan on attending it, but still use this toolkit to invite your people to join, show up with strong messaging, be prepared to have good conversations, and ready to invite people into next steps. Just skip to step 5!

• If not, choose a local Hilton to host an action at. If there isn’t a Hilton nearby, pick a high visibility location or another corporate target (like Target or Home Depot).

1. Decide on a time & place on Friday the 23rd
2. Create a mobilize page for your event!

• Go to this link and follow the instructions there: https://surj.org/addyourMNevent

1. Make a list of people to invite & spread the word!

• Call or text friends and neighbors and ask them to join you. 1:1 outreach is the most effective way to recruit.
• Post on local Facebook, Signal & Whatsapp groups (use these social graphics! And the hashtags #NoICENoWar, #WorkersOverBillionaires)

1. Review the Safety & Security section and do basic prep

• Read through the safety and security section below and take a few minutes to plan ahead. This includes reviewing de-escalation tips, deciding who will help keep an eye on the group, and making sure everyone knows the tone and goals of the action. This step helps everyone feel grounded and confident.

1. Get your Materials ready!

• Print flyers (25 pages = 100 flyers), make signs or posters, better yet, do it with a few friends,
• Review the conversation guide and talking points.
• Identify a different nearby hotel to direct folks to. Bonus if it’s a hotel where the workers are part of a union.
• Consider bringing a speaker or a playlist.

1. Show up and take action!

• Welcome your fellow volunteers! Build community and have fun!
• Have conversations with people at the Hilton & hand out flyers
• Have conversations with the workers at the hotel to explain that the protest isn’t directed at them
• De-escalate any conflict using those de-escalation skills we talked about!
• Don’t forget to take pictures & before people disperse, exchange information, and invite them to your potluck!

1. Share out!

• Share on social media: post photos or updates using #NoICENoWar and #WorkersOverBillionaires
• Report back: fill out the SURJ report form so we know how your action went and can track progress toward our nationwide goals.

1. Host your potluck & build connection

• After your action, follow up with everyone who showed up. Host something that brings people together. This could be right after the action on Friday or plan one for that that weekend. You could invite them to part two of this training on 1/27, or even a potluck where you watch part 2 of the training together!
• The goal is to deepen relationships with your neighbors, with the folks who have proved that they are willing to show up! By creating a space to connect, we can bring one-off protesters into this work for the long haul. This is how we build the infrastructure we need to resist ICE when they arrive in our communities.

How to stay safe:

• We expect these actions to be low risk in most cities. Encounters with Hilton security are the most likely situation you might face. It is legal for you to be on the sidewalk. If you are on Hilton property, you can face trespassing charges if you don’t leave after a warning.

• Preparation steps:

• Decide who will be keeping an eye on safety during the event.

• Read our safety guide and make time to practice de-escalation before the action. Encourage anyone else planning with you to read both documents and watch the de-escalation video before the action.

• The most important part of de-escalation is to practice staying grounded yourself before, during, and after the action.

• Make sure you tell everyone you’re inviting about the tone and goals of the action, so that we are moving together.

• At SURJ, we make a point to practice these safety planning and de-escalation skills even during lower-risk actions like this so we build the muscle for future actions that might carry more risk.

Resources:

• Printable flyers to hand out outside of Hilton

• Generic printable flyers to hand out at any action you attend or host

• Printable posters

• Link above didn’t work? Try this!

• Toolkit from our partners at May Day Strong - also encouraging actions at Hilton, check this out to learn more!

• Conversation Guide + Talking Points

• Slack Channel for Solidarity Action Planners (to connect with other SURJers planning an action, if you haven’t already joined our SURJ Member Slack, do that first!)

• Recording and slides from 1/20 Training Call

Conversation Guide + Talking Points:

Purpose

Hilton Hotels is providing serious material support to ICE. Right now, ICE agents are sleeping in Hilton’s beds at night, then hiding their faces and terrorizing the people of Minneapolis during the day. But most people have no idea this is happening – even if they strongly disapprove of what ICE is doing.

We want to have meaningful, connective conversations with members of our community to draw the connection between Hilton and ICE, explain the ways that Hilton choosing to do business with ICE provides them with a material pillar of support, and ask people to choose a different hotel than Hilton and let Hilton know why they’re leaving, or voice their disapproval of Hilton’s cooperation with ICE.

Hilton is a corporation that is profiting off the pain of people in Minnesota. We want to pressure them to stop – and at the very least, not let them get away with doing it quietly.

What We Are Asking of Hilton

• Hilton should put out a statement demanding an independent investigation into the murder of Renee Good and in support of their workers who are under threat from ICE.
• Hilton should reinstate the franchise in Minnesota that they dropped for standing with the community and refusing to allow ICE to use their hotel.
• Hilton should commit to refusing to house ICE in ALL hotels, nationwide, as a policy to keep employees and communities safe.

Additional Talking Points

• Friday, January 23, is an ICE Out For Good National Day of Solidarity led by Minnesota organizers, national allies from labor, and everyday Americans.
• Hilton has continued to house ICE agents during their reign of terror in Minneapolis. That makes them a key corporate partner in providing ICE the support it needs to function, and means they are directly profiting off the suffering of the entire Minnesota community. Hilton cannot be allowed to quietly profit off of what ICE is doing.
• When one franchise refused service to ICE agents, Hilton caved to pressure from the far-right and dropped the franchise entirely (Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis).
• Hilton should publicly call for an investigation into the murder of Renee Good, make clear that they stand with the immigrant communities who make our country strong, reinstate the Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis franchise, and refuse to house ICE in ALL hotels nationwide.
• Regular people DO get a say – we have the power to raise our voice and flex our economic power. One of the most powerful ways we can influence Hilton is by withholding our business and publicly telling them that we disapprove of their cooperation with ICE.
• Pressure on corporations works. Most recently, every day people pressured Avelo airlines to drop their ICE contract, and they no longer run deportation flights. It is possible to make big changes when we act together.
• Any customers who disagree with what ICE is doing, and don’t like that Hilton is quietly supporting them and profiting from it, should make that disapproval known publicly to Hilton, and should choose different hotels until Hilton changes their policy.
• Hilton is one of 5 corporations that the ICE OUT coalition is calling on to take a stand against ICE – others include Target, Delta Airlines, Enterprise, and Home Depot, all of which are complicit with ICE’s operations or directly support ICE’s logistics and existence in some way.

Do’s

• Listen and ask questions. We want everyone we talk to to feel like they have a place in this fight, even if there are differences. Billionaires profit when we fight each other instead of building a movement to fight them.
• Be honest about your perspective. You and the people you talk to may not agree 100% – that’s ok. Don’t pretend you agree with them, most people will appreciate your honesty if you clearly and politely state your beliefs on the subject.
• Make the connection clear. The truth is that Hilton is profiting from ICE contracts, while those agents are abducting our neighbors and terrorizing our communities. Hilton is not a bystander to this terror, they are materially supporting it.
• Move them into action / provide a next step. Make sure every conversation ends with the person knowing they can do something or at least learn more. Direct them to another hotel they could stay at, invite them to leave a 1-star review of Hilton disapproving of their support for ICE, or have them scan the flyer QR code to sign up for the next SOI training on Tuesday 1/27 to learn more.

Don’ts

• Don’t be condescending. It’s a conversation, not a lecture. People are less likely to engage with us if we are mean, berating, or make them feel less than – even if our points are really good!
• Don’t challenge someone’s experience. Even if there are differences, it’s important that we don’t attack. We can disagree with someone’s perspective or idea but if someone is telling you that something is painful for them, respect that and find another way to move the conversation forward.
• Don’t antagonize or taunt. If someone really isn’t interested in speaking with you or can’t move through the differences, say thank you, give them a flyer, and move on. You may have a better conversation with the next person.
• Don’t villainize the hotel workers. While we are focusing actions at Hilton hotels, the workers at those hotels for the most part have no say or power over the decisions that the corporation makes. Differentiate between the people who work at or manage the individual Hilton, vs. the corporation that continues to take ICE’s business.