Anti-ICE ‘National Shutdown’ was a total bust

Published February 13, 2026 6:00am ET



In case you missed it, the world was supposed to end last week. At least that’s what mass immigration supporters and anti-ICE organizers wanted you to believe. The much-ballyhooed “National Shutdown,” sponsored by “1,000 plus” organizations, promised “historic, economy-crushing consequences in all 50 States” with “millions standing up” to oppose Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts. Radicals warned Americans to stay home from work, skip school, and avoid shopping … and, of course, to obediently march outside despite the arctic temperatures enveloping most of the country.

Things were looking dire as media bluster exploded: “California braces for national shutdown as anger and fear over ICE intensify,” “L.A. museums and cultural hubs go dark in solidarity with anti-ICE National Shutdown protests,” “Protesters to take over NYC in national shutdown against ICE.” Frenzied social media posts warned of a powder keg: “Every city is rising up and this is just the beginning.” 

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