IRTF News

A coalition of Cleveland religious leaders, students and activists held a press conference this week and announced a rally scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday January 30 at Public Square.

They called for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following recent deaths involving federal agents in other cities. They also announced a general strike that is being organized by migrant justice advocates across the country for Friday, January 30. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/anti-ice-protesters-call-for-nationwide-shutdown-on-january-30/ar-AA1V6xq1

The coalition held a press conference Tuesday at Fifth Christian Church in Cleveland to announce a rally scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Public Square. Organizers cited three deaths as the catalyst for the planned action: Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Veterans Affairs intensive care nurse shot by a Border Patrol officer in Minneapolis, Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old poet shot Jan. 7 in Minneapolis by ICE agent Johnathan Ross, and Keith Porter Jr, a 43-year-old shot on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles by an off-duty ICE agent.

Rev. Evan Regis Bunch, senior pastor of Fifth Christian Church, said federal agents are not being held accountable.

“Federal ICE agents are moving through our streets like wolves, snatching members of our community, disrupting our workplaces, de-sanctifying our church, and spreading a virus of fear,” Bunch said.

Faten Odeh, executive director of CAIR-Ohio’s Cleveland and Northern Ohio chapter, also spoke at the press conference.

The public is invited to join the faith leaders on Public Square at 2pm on Friday, January 30.

We’re excited to announce that Equal Exchange will be donating a portion of their sales to IRTF when you shop their online store during 2026. 

To shop Equal Exchange click here. Find organic and fairly traded coffees, teas, chocolate, cocoa, nuts, dried fruits, and even olive oil—all from small farmer co-ops, available by the case for stocking up.

Promo code:  IRTFDonate . Enter this code when you check out and Equal Exchange will donate 10% of your purchase back to IRTF!

Equal Exchange was founded as a solidarity organization in 1986 to support small farmers in Nicaragua by importing their coffee despite the US embargo.  Forty years later, this worker-owned co-op continues to prove that a more democratic food system is possible.

To shop Equal Exchange click here

U.S. and foreign military bases fuel war, displacement, and environmental destruction. Join people around the world February 21–23, 2026 for the Global Days of Action to #CloseBases and take action in your community.

to register click here

Learn how to spot ICE vehicles, what to take notes on as an observer, and how to report a sighting.

to register click here

OPCSN invites faculty, staff, students, and community partners to our 2026 Annual Conference focused on strengthening democracy through civic engagement and peacebuilding. Share your work, connect across campuses, and build collaborative strategies for change.

to register click here

Everyone has a role in keeping our communities safe. Join this 90-minute training to learn how to help protect your neighborhood, school, daycare, or church and become part of a growing community defense network in Cleveland and NE Ohio.

to register click here

Join Megan Bergert, UCC Minister for Migration and Refugee Services, and others for a conversation grounded in what’s unfolding in Minneapolis. This call creates space to listen, reflect, and discern how congregations—especially in rural and suburban settings—can respond thoughtfully, faithfully, and with access to practical resources and support. She and other United Church of Christ ministers (along with ordained clergy from other denominations) have been on the streets in Minneapolis. 

to join the zoom click here

Join a 90-minute training with States at the Core and Protect RP to learn how communities are protecting their neighborhoods from federal enforcement incursions. This session covers ICE Watch fundamentals, rapid response tactics, documentation of ICE activity, and practical safety guidance—whether or not you’re already part of a rapid response network.

to register click here