Portland, OR – On May 5, the immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones (PDXCD) held a protest in front of the Portland Hearings Office to demand the city reject an appeal of a land use violation filed against the Portland ICE facility in September 2025.

The land use violation was issued to the building for holding detainees past a 12-hour limit and boarding up the windows. Despite almost a year passing since the violation was issued, the city has yet to penalize the landlord of the facility, Stuart Lindquist. The city allowed a five-month administrative review of the decision, and then when Lindquist filed an appeal of the violation in March 2026, allowed for the hearing to be pushed back and rescheduled multiple times to May 5.

Protesters met outside the office to speak with the media and hold a rally. Almost immediately, they were disrupted by right-wing agitator Thomas Allen, known for harassing and assaulting immigrant rights protesters. He began circling the protesters and yelling “God bless ICE” over them so they were unable to do interviews.

Protesters formed a barrier and kept Allen away from the rest of the group. But he began to assault activists, hitting and destroying their signs they were holding between themselves and Allen.

Allen then assaulted one of the protesters, Samatha Ibarra. In self-defense, she used pepper spray.

Allen swiftly called Portland Police and claimed he was attacked and being “swarmed” by protesters, a complete fabrication. The police showed up and proceeded to wait until the media left, and then arrested Ibarra, charging her with multiple misdemeanors.

Immigrant rights protesters filed numerous police reports against Allen for attacking people with pepper spray over the last year. At some protests he has sprayed over ten people, including elderly protesters, completely unprovoked. Activists either never hear back, or are told the case would likely not work out in their favor.

After Ibarra’s arrest, PDXCD immediately went to Multnomah County Corrections, where Ibarra was being held, to hold a protest outside demanding her release. She was released a few hours later and participated in a press conference the same day to demand the charges are dropped.

As all of this was occurring, the hearing for the appeal of the land use violation began. Thomas Rask, attorney for ICE landlord Stuart Lindquist, called one witness to testify in support of the ICE facility. The witness was Katie Daviscourt, another known right-wing agitator who has attended round tables with Donald Trump to spread lies about “Antifa” and who regularly goes to the Portland ICE facility to provoke protesters.

Daviscourt testified it was necessary for ICE to board up their windows due to the “violent” protests at the ICE Facility, painting a picture of ICE agents under siege.

In reality, federal agents regularly attack protesters at the facility, going so far as to break the bones of multiple unarmed protesters simply holding signs.

The hearing was supposed to end that same day, but due to delays on behalf of Lindquist’s lawyer the hearing did not conclude until May 7.

On May 10, the hearings office put out a notice that the final decision on the case would be made on June 5. At this point it has been several months since the violation was issued. Despite claims of impartiality, City Administrator Raymond Lee was caught in a leaked video stating the city was “committed to keeping the facility open as it provides “essential services.”

Activists are angry at the willingness of the city to act quickly to repress the voices of immigrant rights activists, while stalling on action on ICE.

“Again and again, we see the city say it stands on the side of immigrants, and yet it only ever uses its powers to silence protesters,” said activist Cami Saunders. “Not only are they misleading the public, but they are trying to suppress the voices of those who call on them to do more.”

In another example of this pattern, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez added three more charges to Ibarra’s case after her arrest, and Allen posted on X stating the DA personally called him to let him know about the extra charges.

PDXCD remains committed to fighting for the charges to be dropped and also to ensure that the Portland ICE facility is shut down entirely.

Samantha Ibarra also stated she will fight the charges and plans to take the fight to court if needed.

“I’m not planning on taking any plea deals because I defended myself from a local terrorist. If and when it goes to trial it will expose the agitators for who they are,” said Ibarra.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PDXCD

Tampa, FL — Despite a thunderstorm and tornado warning, a small but passionate group of workers and community members rallied in Ybor City on May 2 to celebrate International Workers' Day. The rally was organized by the West Central Florida Future Labor Leaders, the youth branch of the West Central Florida Central Labor Council, with demands to defend workers’ and immigrants’ rights.

The speakers included workers from a wide range of unions, such as Graduate Assistants United, the American Federation of Government Employees, Service Employees International Union, Pinellas Classroom Teachers Association, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, and Polk Education Association. An immigrant rights group, the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee, also spoke in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Day Without Immigrants protests.

Just one day before the rally, on May Day itself, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the union-busting SB 1296 into law. The bill is a direct attack on public-sector unions in the state, creating additional barriers to recertification. SB 1296 comes just three years after SB 256, another bill that raised the bar for recertification and decertified more than 100 public-sector unions in the state.

Shortly after losing their union in 2023, the University of South Florida's custodial, groundskeeping and maintenance workers had their jobs privatized. This past year, the workers unionized again, this time with SEIU.

“Since we were privatized, they have taken everything away from us,” said Juan Pena, an electrician at USF and organizer with SEIU 32BJ. “We’re fighting for fair wages, fair contract and salary.”

Speaking in Spanish, Paola Gutierrez with SEIU 32BJ said, “Siempre he dicho que todos unidos somos una sola voz y por eso creo que los sindicatos están listos para defendernos,” or “I have always said all of us united are one single voice and that’s why I believe that unions are ready to defend us.”

The rally ended with a short march around Centennial Park, with attendees chanting “Get up, get down, Tampa is a union town!” The march came to a close just behind the “Immigrant Statue,” a bronze sculpture honoring the Cuban, Italian and Spanish families who immigrated to and built Ybor City.

#TampaFL #FL #MayDay #InternationalWorkersDay #ImmigrantRights #Labor

Chicago, IL – Chicago se está preparando para el Primero de Mayo, que de nuevo va a ser otro día nacional de protesta contra la agenda racista de Trump. Una coalición amplia de organizaciones de los derechos de los inmigrantes; la liberación Negra, los obreros, jóvenes y estudiantes se están preparando para manifestarse y marchar el 1º de mayo, el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores.

La Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad (OSCL) lo da todo para construir este Primero de Mayo. Una parte de la contribución de OSCL es nuestra cena anual de reconocimiento de la clase obrera. Este año, nuevamente, se llevó a cabo en el salón del Sindicato de Maestros de Chicago el sábado, 18 de abril.

El propósito del evento es reconocer a individuos y organizaciones que han contribuido a la lucha de los obreros y los oprimidos durante el último año, celebrar unas victorias y aplaudir a la gente que las hizo posibles. También es la recaudación de fondos principal de OSCL Chicago.

El evento fue un gran éxito, con casi 300 personas presentes en el salón y más de $20,000 recaudados.

Un año de resistencia contra ICE: Cuatro premios entregados.

Chicago fue uno de los primeros blancos de la ocupación de ICE, que comenzó en septiembre de 2025. Agentes de ICE y de la Patrulla Fronteriza aterrorizaron a las comunidades inmigrantes, arrestando a 3000 personas. Incluso realizaron una redada con 300 agentes a las 3 a.m. en la comunidad Negra de South Shore, donde agentes descendieron en rápel desde helicópteros sobre un edificio de apartamentos en donde vivían refugiados venezolanos.

Los equipos de Respuesta Rápida, Migra Watch, y las protestas de respuestas de emergencia empezaron antes de que Trump enviara más agentes aquí.

La cena de reconocimiento distinguió a cuatro activistas por sus contribuciones a la resistencia contra Trump y ICE. Kathryn Zamarrón es maestra de música de primaria en la escuela Walt Disney Magnet, y un líder de la base del Sindicato de Maestros de Chicago (CTU por sus siglas en inglés). Ella sirve en el Caucus Latinx del CTU y el Comité de Educación Primaria. Zamarrón tuvo un papel principal en organizar equipos de santuario para proteger a estudiantes no solo en su propia escuela, sino en toda la ciudad. Se le entregó un premio nombrado en honor a Karen Lewis, la legendaria presidenta del Sindicato de Maestros de Chicago.

Corina Pedraza, trabajadora de la biblioteca pública de Chicago, tuvo un papel de liderazgo en ayudar a la comunidad a suministrar servicios a las decenas de miles de trabajadores inmigrantes enviados en autobús por el gobernador de Texas desde 2022. También fue reconocida por su papel principal como organizadora de los equipos de respuesta rápida de los lados Suroeste y Sureste en 2025. Su premio llevó el nombre de Silverio Villegas González, asesinado por el ICE en un suburbio de Chicago al inicio de la ocupación de ICE/CBP.

La reverenda Ciera Bates-Chamberlain recibió el Premio Angela Davis por organizar a líderes de fe en oposición a ICE. Como directora ejecutiva de Vive Libre Illinois, cuando ICE amenazó a Chicago, ella organizo una coalición multife y multirracial que incluía ministros Negros e iglesias en el sur y oeste de Chicago. La red realizó una conferencia de prensa, una protesta en los púlpitos, y se manifestó junto con el movimiento de los derechos de los inmigrantes para defender nuestra comunidad.

Al final, los Estudiantes Mexicanos de Aztlán (MeSA) de la UIC recibieron un premio nombrado en honor a Rigo Padilla Pérez. Miembro de la Alianza por Justicia para los Inmigrantes Jóvenes en la UIC, Rigo fue líder en el movimiento de los Dreamers, que impulsó la aprobación de la ley de Acción Diferida por los que Llegaron de Joven. Falleció de cáncer hace tres años.

Se reconoció a MeSA porque en octubre, agentes de ICE arrestaron a dos mujeres cerca del campus. Los estudiantes protestaron, y ICE soltó a las mujeres, pero la administración de la UIC se negó a responder. MeSA entonces lideró una movilización de más de 200 estudiantes para oponerse a ICE en el campus y para exigir un campus santuario.

Premio por la solidaridad con Palestina

Gabriella Martinez es Asistente Certificada de Educación Especial en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago y un líder de base del Local 73 de SEIU. Ella organizó a sus compañeros de trabajo para presentar quejas de ética contra el Tesorero del Estado de Illinois, Michael Frerichs, por la compra de bonos israelíes. Frerichs incluso compró más bonos durante el genocidio en curso en Gaza. Por su trabajo, Martinez recibió el premio Assata Shakur. Junto con varios miembros y jubilados del Local 73 de SEIU, la familia de Gabi la acompañó al evento.

Premio de Logro de la Vida: Premio de Pete Camarata para Jim Fennerty por defensa legal del movimiento

Jim Fennerty ha tenido presencia constante en las protestas de Chicago por décadas, llevando la gorra color verde de limón del Gremio Nacional de Abogados. Jim es un abogado del pueblo que ha constantemente defendido nuestro movimiento de los ataques de la clase dominante. Jim y su esposa, Janet, han estado activos políticamente en el movimiento por más de 50 años. Jim representó a Rasmea Odeh y los 23 Anti-Guerra, y ayudó a ganar una resolución civil histórica en representación de 800 manifestantes arrestados al principio de la Guerra de Irak.

El premio de Fennerty fue nombrado en honor al difunto Pete Camarata. Pete fue fundador de los Teamsters por un Sindicato Democrático (TSD). Durante su lucha contra los criminales que tomaron el control del sindicato, Pete fue uno de los primeros en combinar el poder de la base con la acción legal.

Fennerty fue presentado por el amigo de la familia Hatem Abudayyeh de la Red de Acción Árabe-Americana y la Red de la Comunidad Palestina de EE.UU. Muchas mesas estaban llenas de amigos y familiares de Jim y Janet, incluyendo a su hijo Nate, su hija Dina, su esposo Daniel Contreras, y su nieto Quinn Contreras.

Además, la familia de Pete Camarata estuvo presente con los Fennerty, incluyendo a su esposa, Robin Potter, a su hijastro Jackson y a su esposa, Joan; a su hijastra Aimee, y a su nieta Phoebe.

Premio William L. Patterson para Frank Chapman

El momento más importante de la noche fue el premio de logros de la vida para Frank Chapman. Se presentaron con grabaciones de saludos de la presidenta del CTU Stacy Davis Gates y del vicepresidente Jackson Potter.

El Premio William L. Patterson fue presentado por Anthony Quesada, concejal del distrito 35:

“A través de su liderazgo en la Alianza de Chicago contra la Represión Racista y Política, Frank ha ayudado a dirigir campañas que han dado forma a Chicago. Ha sido central en la lucha por la justicia por los condenados injustamente y por el control comunitario de la policía. Su trabajo ayudó a avanzar el movimiento que ganó consejos electos de distritos de la policía, los cuales le brindaron a la gente una verdadera voz en la seguridad pública. Y hoy, Frank continúa avanzando esta lucha a través de nuestra batalla por el referéndum de Poder Comunitario Sobre la Policía.”

“También ha sido mentor de generaciones de organizadores, muchos de los cuales están en el salón esta noche. En todas partes de Chicago y más allá, la gente ha aprendido de él como quedarnos con los pies sobre la tierra, como construir poder colectivo, y como seguir adelante en cada fase de la lucha. Su impacto vive en la gente que él ha moldeado y en los movimientos que siguen creciendo.”

También estuvieron presentes otros funcionarios electos, incluyendo la concejal del distrito 33, Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez; el miembro del Comité Demócrata del Distrito 35, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa; el concejal del distrito 25, Byron Sigcho López; y la senadora estatal Graciela Guzmán.

El premio lleva el nombre de William L. Patterson, el abogado del Partido Comunista de los EE.UU. que lideró la Defensa Internacional de los Obreros (ILD, por sus siglas en ingles) y quien organizo la defensa en masa de los chicos de Scottsboro en los 1930s. Más tarde, encabezó el Congreso por los Derechos Civiles, y junto con Paul Robeson llevó la petición de Acusamos de Genocidio a las Naciones Unidas. La formación de la Alianza Nacional Contra la Represión Racista y Política fue basada en el modelo de la ILD.

Chapman: “Somos parte de un mundo mejor que está naciendo”

Chapman es el director ejecutivo de la Alianza Nacional Contra la Represión Racista y Política, organizador de campo y director de educación de la Alianza de Chicago, y miembro del Comité Central de la OSCL. En sus comentarios, él compartió un poco de perspectiva sobre el régimen de Trump y sobre el cambio en este país desde su punto de vista habiendo nacido en 1942.

Refiriéndose a los que ven al Trumpismo como aberración cuando dicen, “Eso no somos nosotros,” indicando que eso no es lo que representa los EE.UU., Chapman respondió, “¿Qué demonios que no? Lo que le están haciendo a los inmigrantes me pasó a mí y a mi gente… 6200 niños han sido mantenidos en detención desde que Trump llegó,” continuando, “Y disparando a la gente en las calles en estilo de ejecución.”

“Pero ya hemos visto esto: vimos cuando le dispararon 16 veces a Laquan McDonald. Y hace unos días, la policía estatal le disparó 15 veces a un hombre, a poca distancia de mi casa,” y “Dejen de decirme que esto es algo que no han visto antes.”

“Estamos exigiendo el fin del trumpismo, pero vamos más allá de eso. ¡Somos parte de un mundo mejor que está naciendo!” Continuando con las letras de La Internacional, Chapman dijo, “Levántense ustedes los prisioneros del hambre. Levántense condenados de la tierra. Porque la justicia truena condena. Un mundo mejor está naciendo.”

“¿Están listos para lograr esto? ¿Están listos para la revolución?” preguntó, provocando aplausos atronadores

#ChicagoIL #IL #ImmigrantRights #DerechosdelosInmigrantes #NacionalidadesOprimidas #Afroamericanos #OSCL #NAARPR #LaLuchadelPueblo

Tacoma, WA – Several hundred people took to the streets of Tacoma on May 1 to rally for immigrants and workers’ rights. The crowd gathered around 4 p.m. and began chanting with messages such as “Stand up and shut it down, Tacoma is a union town!” and “Power to the people! No one is illegal!” Energy was high, and the mood of the event was celebratory.

The rally opened on Tacoma’s downtown Theater Plaza, with speeches from union members, immigrant rights activists, and tenant organizers. Nearly 40 organizations endorsed the event, including Teamsters Local 117, Washington State Nurses Association, Indivisible Tacoma, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Malaya Tacoma, and many more.

“I think May Day is the sickest holiday ever created,” said one attendee, Edgar Alvarez. “I’m here to contribute to the workers’ movement first and foremost. We’re in a spot right now where we need to start building momentum.”

The program at Theater Square concluded with a performance of Solidarity Forever by local protest band Bugs for Change. The crowd then moved into the street and marched first up the hill to Tacoma City Hall.

The crowd continued with chants such as “Union jobs and education, we will fight for liberation!” and “Stop the deportations!”

“Immigrant workers were on the front lines of the Haymarket affair, they were on the front lines of the 2006 megamarches and continue to be on the front lines of labor struggles across the country,” said Rie Guerrero of Pierce County Immigration Alliance. “The reason we’re stopping here at Tacoma City Hall is because one of the entities reaping profits from the abuse of our immigrant neighbors is our very own city government. The city of Tacoma has invested its retirement system in a mutual fund that has holdings in GEO Group, meaning it has banked its employees' financial futures on the continued profitability of concentration camps like the Northwest Detention Center.”

After that rousing speech, the crowd marched back down the hill towards the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC).

“We’re marching to demand justice for the immigrants that are in detainment in the NWDC,” said Moon Gosserand, emcee of the coalition event. “We must always, even if we don’t know them personally, stand up for the people that need it.”

The planned route to the NWDC crossed Tacoma’s 11th Street bridge, and, as protesters approached the bridge, members of the Tacoma Police Department started forming barricades to block the marchers from continuing on their route. However, the marshal team refused to turn back and pushed through. Eventually the police relented and the protesters continued as planned, completely shutting down the 11th Street bridge.

Chanting continued as the crowd made their way to the NWDC, including chants such as ““When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Shut it down! Shut it tight! Workers of the world unite!”

Upon arrival at the NWDC, the crowd continued chanting and the program resumed on the street outside the detention center. There were more songs and speeches, including one from Maximo Londonio, a member of Machinists (IAM) Local Lodge 695, who was imprisoned by ICE in May 2025.

One attendee reflected on the crowd which had marched nearly two miles from the starting location, “It’s really cool to see so many people from Tacoma uniting and showing up,” said Sterling Peel, a band leader with Bugs for Change and general member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. “It really shows that this is a working-class town for the working-class people, and we have a strong working-class movement, and I love to see it.”

The program concluded with a song offered by members of Tangoll Migrante Movement which included the refrain “¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” Many attendees vowed to continue fighting.

“Bottom line is, get in the streets!” said Alvarez. “If you’re not in the streets, get in the streets.”

#TacomaWA #WA #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MayDay

St. Paul, MN – On May 9, the day before Mother’s Day, 100 Minnesotans, from all generations, gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol with blue bunny hats in remembrance of Liam Conejo Ramos and the 4030 immigrants who were kidnapped during Operation Metro Surge.

Two months on from the drawdown of Operation Metro Surge, people came out to the Capitol to demonstrate their determination to fight back against the continuing attacks on immigrant communities. Protesters brought their own blue bunny hats or grabbed one made by the Conejo Rally organizers. The crowd of blue bunny hats made for an emotional visual as various immigrant rights advocates spoke to the crowd.

The event, dubbed the “Conejo Rally,” was co-organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and Families Against Military Madness (FAMM). The rally honored five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who in January was kidnapped by ICE agents along with his father outside their home in Columbia Heights, Minnesota. The two were then sent to the notoriously cruel Dilley detention center in Texas, where Liam became depressed and ill.

As images of the scared preschooler in his blue bunny hat stoked global outrage, a judge ordered ICE to release the pair, and they returned home on February 1; but the nightmare is not over, for them and many other immigrant families.

The federal government is still trying to deport Liam and his family and seems determined to retaliate against them for the attention their case has received. The Department of Justice successfully moved to end the family’s asylum claims, and now it has appealed the release of Liam and his father. Nonetheless, Liam and his family themselves attended the Conejo Rally, bravely keeping their story in the public eye.

Kevin Centeno, an administrator at Liam’s school stated, “We’ve seen children used as baits. I’ve seen parents taken just for taking out trash, going to work, dropping off their kids, or picking them up from school, or from everywhere they need. These parents are not a threat. These are working-class families. This is our community. We will stand together for those who cannot stand. We will not be afraid for those who are afraid, and we will fight back.”

Liz McLister, the co-emcee of the rally from FAMM told the crowd, “We know that the fallout from Operation Metro Surge is still impacting our neighbors in the form of PTSD, continuing detentions and deportations; and the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, income and program cuts. We know ICE is still better funded than some countries’ militaries, and that it’s concentrating power behind the scenes as I speak! We know that someone has died in ICE detention every six days so far this year. The terror persists, albeit in less obvious ways.”

Manuel Pascual, the co-emcee of the rally from MIRAC, notified the crowd of the renewed threats made by “border czar” Tom Homan and the new DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. Last week at the Border Security Expo, Tom Homan boasted about the rate of kidnappings made by immigration officers, who are now making about 1200 arrests a day. He also explicitly threatened to send more agents to states and cities that restrict cooperation with federal law enforcement, which would lead to an increase in collateral arrests and violence courtesy of the federal government. Markwayne Mullin, for his part, clarified the Trump administration’s strategy of conducting mass deportations, but in a quieter fashion, with the DHS out of the headlines.

The people are also fighting back at the state level to uphold immigrant rights through a large coalition of immigrant rights groups called the North Star Alliance. Karen Wills, a member of the North Star Alliance Policy Team addressed the crowd and told them about the importance of getting Senate File 3699 passed in Minnesota, something the coalition has been working on. This bill is expected to be discussed this coming week, and would restrict immigration enforcement agents’ access to courts, hospitals, schools, and childcare centers.

In addition to passing bills like this, MIRAC members have been pushing for immediate action via an executive order issued by the governor to ensure immigrant communities get immediate protections.

Myrka Zambrano, who spoke at the rally on behalf of MIRAC, asserted, “We have already seen what the federal government is capable of. The time to act was yesterday. We need change now. Governor Walz has the power to make it happen. We are asking Walz to issue an executive order to make us a sanctuary state now. We are demanding no cooperation with ICE and local law enforcement. We are demanding all charges dropped against protestors. We are demanding justice for all of the victims of ICE terror.”

Zambrano continued, “And we want a statewide eviction moratorium. What we want is simple. We want Governor Walz to protect immigrants and all Minnesotans from federal violence and repression.” MIRAC’s upcoming actions will be aimed at pressuring Governor Walz and the gubernatorial candidates to uphold these sanctuary state demands.

The rally concluded with a speech from Liam’s father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. “As you know, we have gone through very difficult times, but thanks to your support, your messages, and your good wishes, we have pulled through. Thank you for being here. This is the symbol that represents all immigrants, ” Arias declared, holding up a blue bunny hat.

At the end of the rally, participants gathered on the steps in front of the capitol building with their blue bunny hats, chanting “Say it loud, say it clear, immigrants are welcome here!”

#StPaulMN #MN #MIRAC #ImmigrantRights #SanctuaryState #LiamConejoRamos #OperationMetroSurge

Santa Ana, CA – On May 1, nearly 300 people packed into Sasscer Park for International Workers’ Day. The rally and march, which also commemorated the 20th anniversary of the immigrant mega marches, was organized by the Orange County May Day Coalition. The energy in the crowd grew as the emcee of the rally, Abe Quintana from Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) led chants of “ICE out of Santa Ana! ICE out of OC!”

Michelle Ceballos from UAW started by emphasizing “the wealthy have extracted more and more profit from us, kept our wages low, raised prices, and bought out our politicians! It doesn’t have to be this way! May Day reminds us that when we fight, we win!”

Speaking on the immigrant mega marches 20 years ago Ceballos added, “In 2006, on a Day Without an Immigrant, millions hit the streets to defeat an anti-immigrant law, and won. In January, hundreds of thousands across the U.S. shut it down, to get ICE to back off. Today, people joined the call to shut it down again, to keep building momentum for a mass movement!”

Erika Armenta, the wife of Noe Rodriguez, a man who was killed by Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) is also a member of CSO OC. Armenta told the crowd, “We need community control of the police to ensure that officers who have taken the lives of our loved ones face consequences-specifically, that they be fired and subsequently imprisoned. They must be held accountable for the lives they have unjustly snatched away!”

Armenta also spoke of CSO OC’s fight for immigrant rights, “Our Immigration Committee works with the working-class immigrants of the Coach Royal mobile home park who are fighting unjust evictions and abuse from Kingsley Management Corporation.”

Hussein Imreish from the Palestinian Youth Movement said,“ For the past two years we have seen how essential the labor movement is for Palestine. Through our campaigns such as Mask of Maersk and the Peoples Arms Embargo we have connected with principled and dedicated workers who reject the imperialist forces inflicting violence and exploiting our people.”

Diana Terreros from Freedom Road Socialist Organization Orange County (FRSO OC) kicked off her speech by saying, “Immigrants are super exploited to increase the profits of the billionaires.” Terreros spoke about the local example of Kingsley. “They do illegal terrible things to the residents all for profit and then count on the residents being too afraid to fight back due to their status. They have even threatened to call ICE on them! Shame!” Terreros finished with a call to action by saying, “We are an organization of fighters working shoulder to shoulder with the working class and have a real strategy to build a united front against these capitalists and you should join us in this fight!”

Gaby Hernandez from Chicanos Unidos stated, “We have worked heavily and led the campaign against gang injunctions. Gang injunctions create prisons in our communities without walls.” Hernandez added that “We started fighting against injunctions in 2006 and just a few months ago we were able to shut down injunctions here in Orange County!”

At the height of the rally, the large crowd started marching. The protesters stopped traffic, fully taking over the road, chanting “ICE out of OC!”, “Donald Trump, let’s be clear! Immigrants are welcome here!” and “Jail killer cops!” throughout downtown as the crowd filled the busy streets.

The crowd held up signs saying “No Ice! Stop the deportations,” “Workers Forever, CEOs never” and “Fight for workers' and immigrants’ rights” while passing cars gave honks of support.

While marching, David Pulido, a member of FRSO OC and a chant leader for the march, brought attention to the parking lot where 73-year-old Miguel Chavez was brutally arrested by the SAPD in 2022. “They shot him with less-lethal rounds and sicced a K-9 dog at him! He later died from his wounds!” This started powerful chants of “Justice for Miguel Chavez!” and “Jail killer cops!”

This OC May Day coalition was comprised of and included organizers from CSO OC, OC DSA, FRSO OC, UAW, Harbor Institute, El Centro Cultural de Mexico, Code Pink OC, OC Peace Coalition, CHIRLA, Orange County Banner Drop, OC Mutual Aid, Chicanos Unidos, Palestinian Youth Movement Orange County Environmental Justice, General Strike US, Nuestras Manos, Santa Ana Lucha, Santa Ana Active Streets, Save Orange Hills, Green Party of OC, Union de Barrio, VietRISE and Climate Action Campaign and.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OC #OrangeCounty #MayDay #InternationalWorkersDay #ImmigrantRights #Labor #CSOOC

Austin, TX – On Thursday morning, May 7, community members packed the Austin City Council meeting to demand that the city take action to stop local police collaboration with ICE. Jesse Valdelamar, of La Frontera Unida, gave public comment on this issue as supporters packed the room with signs with messages such as, “ICE out” and “Legalization for all.” After the public comment, around 25 people rallied outside City Hall.

In his speech, Valdelamar said, “On April 24, this city government shamefully capitulated to the racist demands of Governor Abbott and updated police orders such that officers ‘should, when operationally feasible’ contact ICE over administrative warrants.”

Just before this, Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to withdraw $2.5 million in city funding. Valdelamar said, “If this was really a money issue, we should be talking about cutting back on the millions of dollars in handouts to big business that this city gives out on a regular basis rather than risk sending any of our community members to their deaths in a concentration camp.”

Sameeha Rizvi of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) spoke on how the Trump administration is making claims about ICE taking criminals off the streets. Rizvi said, “I mean so far, if that’s the reason we are going to use, how come we have so many Muslim immigrants who have been detained just because they spoke up on Palestine?”

Rizvi continued, “Let’s be clear. ICE does not make our neighborhoods safer. Agencies that exist to tear families apart have no place in our communities.”

Jake Holtzman, of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “These racist politicians are a product and a symptom of a whole rotten system. And that is the system of monopoly capitalism. The capitalists are waging ICE terror, mass deportations and tearing families apart, all to line their own pockets. Shame!”

Holtzman continued, “We need a revolution to kick the capitalists out of power and put working and oppressed people in charge. And our demand is national liberation and self-determination for the Chicano nation here in the Southwest, and full equality for all Chicanos, Mexicanos and Central Americans in the U.S..”

#AustinTX #TX #ICE #ImmigrantRights #LaFronteraUnida

Denver, CO – On Friday, May 1, public spaces saw protests, rallies and events celebrating International Workers’ Day. About 100 attended a May Day rally at the Colorado State Capitol to hear activists, organizers and workers speak in support of workers everywhere.

Grassroots groups such as Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization (AUCSO), Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) put on the May Day rally, inviting all those who stand against the billionaire agenda threatening community safety, and who stand for labor rights, public services and education to attend.

Alfredo Carbajal of AUCSO spoke to the crowd about issues plaguing immigrants in Denver and Aurora, including the GEO Detention Center in Aurora, which holds over 1500 people.

Carbajal stated, “For over a year now, we’ve witnessed the international targeting of our Black and brown friends and family with racist policing, detainment and family separation. From guard mistreatment to malnourishment and medical neglect, we have heard it all.” AUCSO works closely with families targeted by immigration enforcement and private for-profit prisons like GEO.

Carbajal continued, “Immigrants, workers and students are in the fight for a more just path to legalization and true self-determination.”

Miles Thompson, chair of DACAC told the crowd, “The police serve as a tool used by the bosses to stifle the progress that labor unions fight so hard to make, in addition to terrorizing our neighbors from oppressed nationalities.”

Thompson continued, “At DACAC, our fight for community control of the police is linked intrinsically to the labor struggle, and for Black and Chicano liberation. We oppose any and all suppression carried out by the corrupt police that harm civilians of all backgrounds.”

Condemning Aurora’s current police chief, Todd Chamberlain, for protecting “killer cops and slandering victims of police brutality,” Thompson pointed out that Chamberlain was not elected by the people and chose to serve the ruling class. Thompson also made a call to action, encouraging those who stand with the working class to use May Day to connect with like-minded organizers.

Kyle Burroughs of FRSO stated, “Which side are you on? As the CEO at UPS, Carol Tome, and her ghouls, see a potential boom in profits from automation. Buildings are closing down, tens of thousands of my coworkers at UPS are kicked to the curb and told they can't work their livelihood anymore, their healthcare and what bit of financial stability they had stripped of them. Which side are you on?”

Burroughs also denounced the war on Iran and the need to “drive a stake through the heart of the parasite class, the capitalist class.”

Burroughs continued, “There's so much to fight against, but there’s also so much to fight for.”

After the event at the capitol, many organizers and attendees went on to support other May Day events happening later that day.

#DenverCO #CO #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay

Jacksonville, FL – Chants of “Who got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Workers’ power!” echoed in the streets of downtown Jacksonville, May 1, as Duval County celebrated its largest May Day commemoration yet. With over a dozen organizations and union locals in attendance, the community showed up in solidarity with the workers' struggle, with immigrants, and all oppressed peoples of the world.

Attendees reaffirmed the critical work of union organizing and the power of collective action to gain us the rights we have and the rights we'll continue to fight for. “When the beast of imperialism tries to take a bite out of an organized working class, it chokes!” said a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

People's movements united under one banner that read “Workers of the world unite! Fight fight fight!” Other signs read “Money for workers, not bombs!” and “Union busting is disgusting!”

Attendees heard union reps speak from Duval Teachers United, IATSE 115, Starbucks Workers United, IBEW 177, and the North Florida Central Labor Council. Immigrant rights was the highlight of many speeches throughout the program, with connections being made between the movement for legalization for all and workers' rights, the anti-war movement, and state-sanctioned violence experienced by the people who fight back.

“Just like the migrants who work alongside us, we have been reduced to nothing but our labor and the profits we produce for the ruling class,” said a member of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance.

The president of the North Florida Central Labor Council said, “We're here today on May Day to talk about the successful labor struggles of working people, especially our immigrant brothers and sisters, in Palestine, and everyone. We support them.”

The programming closed out with everyone singing in unison Solidarity Forever.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay

Washington, DC – On Sunday, May 3, about 15 protesters gathered again outside the Customs and Border Patrol headquarters to protest the ICE detainment of Yousof Azizi, a PhD student and outspoken anti-war advocate. Azizi was kidnapped on April 13 while on his way home from dropping off his two children at school. Since then, he has been transferred at least twice, and has been repeatedly denied access to his lawyer and allowed only limited contact family.

Chant leaders opened the program with calls such as “I-C-E, we don't need ‘em, we demand Yousof’s freedom!” and “CBP stop the lies, speaking out is not a crime!” Organizers from the Anti-War Committee DMV and the DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression then took the floor to emphasize the importance of continuing to stand in solidarity with Azizi, and more broadly Iran.

“Yousof Azizi has been facing deplorable conditions in ICE detention, all while being limited in contact with his wife,” said Katie Sayour of the Anti-War Committee DMV. “To that we say ‘shame!’ We are here to demand that he be freed immediately!”

Protesters then took the sidewalk and marched from CBP headquarters to Lafayette Square in front of the White House.

“What Yousof did, speaking out against the war on Iran, we say ‘good on him,’” said Merawi Gerima, organizer with the DC Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression. “It is our duty, as residents of the United States, to stand up against the racist, xenophobic war machine!”

Once the group reached the front of Lafayette Square, several of the Iranian monarchists and Zionists came over and began harassing protesters. Some came face to face to the protesters in an attempt to intimidate them, but the group stuck together and held the space at the square, surrounding each heckler as they approached, chanting “Crackers out of the Middle East!” and “Racists out of the Middle East!” Like paper tigers, the agitators crumbled upon confrontation and sulked away. Many passersby filmed and shouted in support of the protesters defending themselves.

Subsequently, after the rally ended and the protesters began marching to the dispersal point, they were followed by some of the same agitators from earlier. One man trailed the group for four blocks down 15th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. However, organizers made a strategic move to stop in front of a crowd of police and expose the stalkers for their behavior, causing them to give up their pursuit and retreat.

To learn more about Yousof Azizi’s case and the next steps in the fight, follow Anti-War Committee DMV on Instagram @antiwar.dmv and visit the website yousofazizi.com.

#WashingtonDC #ImmigrantRights #DCAARPR #AntiWar

Grand Rapids, MI – The Grand Rapids May Day Committee organized a rally commemorating International Workers Day, Saturday, May 2, at Fountain Street Church.

Co-hosted by the May Day Committee chair, Tom Burke of IATSE 26, along with Ivan Diaz, candidate for Michigan State Senate District 29, the event started with songs of solidarity by Carsten Forester of AFM Local 56. After the music, local labor leaders and community activists spoke on meeting the attacks from the Trump administration. Many focused on standing in solidarity with immigrants and fellow workers.

Tom Burke told attendees, “We are coming together with unions and community leaders to stand with the workers of the world. We oppose the ICE raids and deportations being pushed by the Trump administration.”

Burke continued, “We celebrate the great victory of the unions and activists in Minneapolis/Saint Paul who forced President Trump and ICE to back down. We stand together with our immigrant neighbors in West Michigan. An injury to one, is an injury to all!”

A trio of educators from the Grand Rapids Education Association (GREA), Noemi Tobar Arellano, Kaitlyn Holmwood and Lucas Southwell, spoke of the devastating impact of ICE on the students and families in the community. They emphasized that it takes a village to raise a child and it will take a village to fight Trump's agenda.

Eduardo Montiel of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression introduced Andrica Cage, the mother of Samuel Sterling, who is a man murdered by the Michigan State Police. Cage stated, “When you see me out here fighting, come stand with me.”

Next, Tom Nieboer of IWW and AFSCME 435 reminded the audience that, “Unions bring power to the workers. It's time for workers to bring power to the unions!” After his speech, Lily Cheng Schulting, candidate for Michigan House District 80, inquired of all those elected, “When the power structures come to attack you, will you stand strong?”

Finally, special guest and candidate for U.S. Senate, Abdul El-Sayed, was introduced by IATSE 26-member, Josh Roskamp.

El-Sayed took the stage, starting with call and response chants. One of these chants was “Money out of?” and the crowd would respond with “Politics!” His remarks came at a time of rising prices and worsening cost of living crisis exacerbated by President Trump’s war on Iran. Speaking poignantly, he declared that “We have to take our democracy from the corporations who tell us what we cannot have,” and “We must build together with unlikely allies to achieve it.”

Closing out the event, Tom Burke again raised the call, “Solidarity!”

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #Labor #ImmigrantRights #GRAARPR #AFSCME

Bozeman, MT – On May 1, around 50 students walked out of Gallatin High School during third period, joining a growing wave of protests against ICE and its impact on immigrant communities. The walkout was organized by senior Charlotte Haslam as part of her senior project and as an effort to mobilize students in what she described as a politically divided school environment.

As the bell rang, students streamed out of the building and assembled near the front entrance before marching toward a nearby park. While the demonstration remained peaceful, it drew visible opposition. A group of students briefly followed the group while mocking them with unrelated signs, while passing vehicles, one displaying a Trump flag, recorded the protesters.

For many participants, the issue of immigrant rights is very close to home. Some cited family ties to immigrants, while others pointed to broader political concerns and the growing fear in the national climate.

Haslam emphasized, “That’s what the government is trying to do to us at this point, scare us into silence and fearmonger people into compliance.”

Haslam continued, “I would tell students, you know, don’t be afraid. Don’t quiet yourself. Don’t make yourself smaller. Just do whatever feels right to you.”

“It’s just so devastating to see children being taken from their parents and seeing people get killed by the government,” Haslam said. “I have Hispanic friends whose parents are immigrants, and it’s so sad to watch them stay in their houses because they’re scared to go outside just to go shopping. It’s a horrible, horrible thing that we’re witnessing.”

At the park, Haslam addressed the crowd, calling for public resources to be directed toward healthcare, education, and working-class communities rather than immigration enforcement. She encouraged those in attendance to remain politically active beyond the demonstration.

School officials stated that students are permitted to exercise their First Amendment rights, though those who left class without an excuse would receive an unexcused absence in accordance with school policy. For the attendees, however, the consequences were secondary to the demonstration itself. The walkout, they said, was about proving that even in a conservative environment, students are willing to speak out.

Haslam encouraged students to continue organizing, and to continue fighting back against fear and silence. “If you have a passion for something and really believe in it, and really want to make a change, don’t let anything stop you,” she said.

#BozemanMT #MT #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #Featured #Highschool #Walkout

Salt Lake City – This May Day, hundreds gathered at Salt Lake City’s Washington Square Park, May 1, to celebrate the hard fought achievements of the workers and immigrant movements and to call the people to keep organizing and fighting for a more just world.

Socialists, progressives, unionists and immigrant rights activists spoke about the unique struggles facing Utahns. Issues included the struggle to keep ICE off our streets to Utah’s status as a Right to Work state, to the recently approved military data center in Box Elder County, an installation that will significantly affect not only the local residents but those under the thumb of U.S. imperialism.

Mustafa Khader from the 71 Percent Coalition, a local organization fighting for the end of U.S. complicity in the genocide of Palestinians, remarked, “Our enemy is fascism, capitalism and imperialism,” and “We will always be there to remind the people that we are the ones who are the change.” There were calls to join local organizations and come together as communities to fight back against the oppression we are facing within Utah, across the nation, and globally.

A contingent from the FRSO held a banner reading “Defend immigrant and workers rights” and passed out signs and waters to others in the crowd.

After the rally the FRSO held a May Day panel at the Utah Workers Center to speak on the state of the labor, immigrant rights, Anti War, and socialist movements today.

Carson Bybee, speaking for the FRSO stated, “May Day calls us to intensify the fight. Organize your workplaces, build revolutionary parties, and prepare for the battles ahead.” The speech highlighted the rich history of the struggle for workers’ rights and socialism across the world, the dysfunctional nature of representative democracy in the U.S., and the global environmental crisis brought about by the capitalist mode of production we exist under.

Adrian Romero, of the Utah Anit War Committee (UAWC) spoke on the horrific realities that immigrants have faced and continue to face in this country.

Karla Galvez,, another member of the UAWC spoke about the origins of May Day and the Haymarket Affair stating that “Truly it was a capitalist’s worst nightmare, people coming together to realize the power in unity.” The speech continued with the recent success in repealing HB 267, a collective bargaining ban cited as one of the most restrictive labor laws in the country, that was brought down as a result of the “dedicated efforts of organizers, activists, and community members.”

A UPS worker and Teamster, spoke on their experience working within a union. They explained the important distinction between a business union and a working-class union, a business union being a type of union that is alienated from the real conditions of workers on the shop floor.

Sebastian Miscenich, an activist and leader in both Freedom Raad Socialist Organization and the UAWC, made a speech recognizing all the important anti-war work carried out by the UAWC since its reestablishment earlier this year.

The feeling among those participating in these May Day events is clear, something is deeply wrong about how society is structured and the only ones capable of carrying out real change are the people themselves.

#SaltLakeCityUT #UT #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay

Orlando, FL – On Friday, May 1, dozens of community members gathered at BookBurn Cafe and Social in Orlando's Milk District to celebrate International Workers' Day. The interactive, educational event was presented by Freedom Road Socialist Organization Orlando, and included discussions led by rank-and-file union members from the public and private sector.

The four different presenters spoke about their firsthand experiences organizing union drives and strikes, fighting for decent contracts, resisting anti-union policies from the Florida legislature, and the ever-growing need for communist and militant union members to engage in class struggle unionism.

“The strike has always been the greatest weapon that the working class can wield against the greedy bosses,” said FRSO Orlando member and public high school teacher Edmund Anglero. “And throughout history, there are numerous instances of union workers wielding that power to win fair contracts. That is what we should be building toward today and is why FRSO members make our home in the organized working class.”

After a lively Q and A session, the educational portion of the event ended and was followed by a social for those in attendance to celebrate the holiday together.

#OrlandoFL #FL #Labor #ImmigrantRights #Labor #FRSO

Tampa FL- On Friday, May 1, two high schools in the Tampa Bay area participated in the national call put out by the Legalization for All Network to hold May Day walkouts in remembrance of the Day Without Immigrants mega protests held in 2006.The participating high schools were Middleton and Wharton. Both events were supported by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society and the Tampa Immigrants’ Rights Committee. The protests this year called for slogans such as “Ice out now!” and “Legalization for all!” in response to the Trump administration’s continued attacks on immigrant communities across the country.

At the Middleton walkout, two students participated and still drew attention from the high school administration. As said by ZJ Jeudy, a member of the Middleton’s Students for a Democratic Society, “I organized and participated in the walkout because to me, it’s important to not only speak up for what’s right, but to also demonstrate it even if you are the only one doing it.”

Later in the day at Wharton, high school students participated in a rally after school at the corner of the school premises.

“If you go back to the early 2000s or go back to the 70s, students coming out and protesting is a major part of the Vietnam War timeline, that kind of thing. That’s how you organize,” said Nicole Cochrin, a member of Wharton’s Students for a Democratic Society. “Even if the protest itself doesn’t really do much, it’s going to spark more protests. People are going to make more of a change instead of sitting idly hoping someone else does something for them.”

These actions were two of the many held across the country on May Day for the National Day of Action called by the Legalization for All Network and National Students for a Democratic Society.

#TampaFL #FL #StudentMovement #L4A #SDS #ImmigrantRights #Highschool #MayDay

Atlanta, GA – On Saturday, May 2, over 100 community members gathered outside the ICE field office to celebrate International Workers’ Day and demand an end to the deportations.

This action brought together several people’s movements, with the Atlanta Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression and Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) leading the charge. Over 20 organizations co-sponsored the event, including Black liberation organizations such as Strike Black and BLM Grassroots and immigrant defense organizations such as Sur Legal Collaborative.

Speeches highlighted that we are almost a year and a half into Trump’s second term, and attacks on all our communities keep escalating. Workers have seen the gutting of the NLRB and OSHA regulations, Black folks have seen major attacks on voting rights and even less accountability for police crimes, and immigrants have seen the brutality of ICE kidnappings and deportations. On top of how the working class suffers in the U.S., we have to foot the bill as the U.S. wages war and exports violence and suffering all over the world.

Gail Sall addressed the crowd about her husband Amary Sall, who was kidnapped by ICE and deported back to Senegal. Sall highlighted the struggle of having her husband stolen from her while she has to continue running the business they used to operate together. She urged attendees to continue organizing and continue the pressure to #BringAmaryHome.

While the community continues the fight for Amary and Gail, hope for a better world is alive and well as Atlanta celebrates the release of Rodney Taylor. Taylor is a beloved barber in the community and a double-amputee who was detained by ICE and threatened to be sent to Liberia, where he was born. Because of the tireless work of the #FreeRodneyTaylor campaign, he was released – perfectly demonstrating the power of getting organized to defend immigrants and workers this May Day.

FRSO member Brandon Pink stated, “Now is not the time to be fatigued or demoralized. Now is the time to resist attacks on the working class, resist attacks on our immigrant brothers and sisters, and get organized. Whether it’s on the shop floor or in the streets – organize. That is the work that is done between these marches and rallies and the other 364 days of the year. The working class has a world to win, and we will never win more than when we are ready to fight!”

#AtlantaGA #GA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay

Austin, TX – On Friday, May 1, labor unions and activist and student groups took the streets of downtown Austin for International Workers Day. Around 200 protesters marched on the Capitol building chanting and holding signs in support of immigrants and workers’ rights.

Before the march, the Austin Central Labor Council held a tabling fair through the rain, with many union locals, like IBEW and AFSCME, and activist groups, including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization giving out information.

Austin Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), Students for International Labor Solidarity, and other student groups led a contingent to the Capitol from the UT Austin campus, demanding that UT cut its ties with a company that provides ICE with vehicles for deportations. The students chanted, “UT stop the lies, cut your ties with Enterprise!”

Daniel Ramirez from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization told the crowd, “On May 1, 1886, tens of thousands of workers said ‘enough is enough’ and went out on strike against the bosses and their hired guns. So, when we come out to celebrate the historic workers holiday of May Day, it reminds us that when people are organized, we can land blows against the rotten system we live in. That a better future is possible.”

At the Capitol, SDS talked about the fight against the UT Austin administration as it cut classes and departments that study race and gender. Devon May from SDS talked about how the same Texas government, led by Greg Abbott, that is attacking workers in Texas, is the government that UT admin is bending the knee to.

May said, “Our state government is entirely on the side of the billionaires!” This was met with a flurry of boos and calls of, “Shame,” from the energetic crowd. May ended by highlighting the unity between workers and students, saying “We – the united front of workers and students and immigrants, and everyone else who is tired of living in the shadow of the ruling class – aren’t going to stop until we’ve won everything!”

#AustinTX #TX #StudentMovement #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #SDS

Chicago, IL – On Friday, May 1, students at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) walked out of class at 10:30 in the morning to demand an end to the deportations, legalization for all undocumented immigrants, and that the university administration take immediate steps to make the UIC a sanctuary campus. Over 100 protesters, a mix of undergraduate students and striking members of the university’s Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) Local 6297, gathered in the UIC quad.

The call for student walkouts across the country on May 1 was put out by the Legalization 4 All (L4A) Network in collaboration with New Students for a Democratic Society (New SDS). At UIC, three student organizations, Anakbayan at UIC, Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA), and New SDS at UIC, answered the call and co-organized their university’s walkout.

The program included speakers from nearly a dozen endorsing organizations. Sathvika Gowda, a member of New SDS at UIC, opened the program stating, “This past year we witnessed Chicago’s immigrant communities on the South and Southwest sides be terrorized by ICE and Operation Midway Blitz. Shame!”

Gowda continued, “At the same time, UIC’s immigrant students have had to come to school in fear, worrying about the wellbeing of their families, friends, neighborhoods and communities. All the while, UIC administration did nothing to protect our immigrant students right here. It has been our cultural centers, their staff and us as the students who have acted to protect and make a safe space for UIC’s immigrant and oppressed students in the face of our administration’s inaction!”

Last year, Chicago was targeted by the Trump administration for a large-scale immigration enforcement operation. For many UIC students, that fall semester at the university was a nightmare as ICE thugs terrorized communities across the city. On October 8, two women were violently kidnapped on campus grounds, leading hundreds of UIC students to protest ICE’s actions and UIC administration’s inaction.

At the time, the university administration refused to condemn the abduction and tried to wash their hands of all responsibility – something they were later forced to walk back. The two women were eventually released from ICE custody, as it was later revealed that they were Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) recipients.

A MeSA member and undergraduate student at UIC spoke next, “Coming from a mixed-status family, I know that we are often encouraged to stay silent to protect ourselves and our families. But I am here to tell you that my family, despite not always being so supportive of my activism, instilled me with a faith that teaches me that a divorce from the conditions of oppressed people is blasphemy, a faith that doesn't work for the people it represents is a faith that is dead!”

A graduate worker representing GEO Local 6297, said, “In bargaining for a better, fair, and equitable contract, the admin has refused to make progress. This union demands a livable wage, affordable healthcare and protections from the fascists in ICE. I believe that we will win – not because it is easy – but because we must.”

Ángel Naranjos, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization said, “May Day is a reminder that the people organized can land blows against this system. Our movements are going to come out of this era stronger than they went in. As students and young people we must remember that the future is ours, but only if we’re willing to fight for it!”

President of New SDS, Erin Boyle, gave the final speech, “We’re up against a dying system that’s trying to crush all that’s good in the world so a few men can stuff their pockets. But we have the opportunity to organize in our communities, in our workplaces and on our campuses, and not alone.”

After the rally, MeSA member Alyson Sanchez introduced an art project that she had been working on titled La Fiesta: Joy as Resistance. Sanchez revealed two piñatas depicting Donald Trump as a pig in orange makeup for protesters to destroy. Students and youth leapt at the chance to participate in the Mexican party tradition and claim some candy.

Then, the students who had walked out gathered once again. They marched off campus and joined the citywide May Day demonstration in Chicago’s Union Park which saw thousands of people, among them many students and youth, participate.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #SDS #MESA #GEO

Milwaukee, WI – On a brisk May 1st morning, the Milwaukee community gathered in the thousands to stand up for immigrants’ and workers’ rights. The rally began on the city’s Southside at the Voces de la Frontera (VDLF) office, a leading organization that gathers students, workers, and residents annually to march since 2006. 22 years later, el Día sin Inmigrantes continues to demand justice for workers of all legal status and a path to legalization for all.

The day started with words from student organizers in Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), urging solidarity and collective action under the second Trump administration. The three-mile march then began with a large coalition carrying banners and pickets, chanting “Money for jobs and education, not for war and deportation!”

As marchers arrived at the end point, VDLF director Christine Neumann-Ortiz summed up the theme of this year's demonstration: “Immigrants are not the problem; they are the solution. The problem is the billionaire class.”

The crowd then heard from Kareem Sarsour, the eldest son of Salah Sarsour, a Palestinian and president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee. Sarsour was kidnapped over a month ago by ICE and remains in custody for bogus charges because he is a fierce advocate for Palestine. Sarsour assured the crowd that his father, along with his family, remain committed to fighting for a free Palestine and will fight until he is released.

In a fiery speech, the head of the city’s Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), José Ramirez, told the crowd, “Elected officials try to explain to the working class that they understand and know our struggles. They don’t know what it’s like to pour concrete all damn day, to be bent over tying rebar, to wake up early and work a double shift.” Ramirez then pointed to the strength of grassroots organizations and community, calling for continued solidarity among workers beyond May Day because “this is what the clowns and cowards in Madison fear.”

The day’s march wrapped up midday with mariachi, but the festivities continued.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization held a program later that evening at Villa Arco, a community space which also hosts ESL classes for immigrant laborers. Here, FRSO national leader Syd Loving spoke about the erasure of May Day in the U.S. as an international socialist holiday. Loving said, “It sounds lofty and far away, but we [FRSO] fight for the overthrow of capitalism because we see that socialism is a real thing in other countries,” as seen in her recent visit to the People’s Republic of China.

Local FRSO leader Alan Chavoya offered a background on Dia Sin Inmigrantes, highlighting labor and oppressed nationality movements as the key to striking blows against the enemy. Chavoya stated, “In every struggle historically, it’s the working class. That’s where we need to go with the immigrant rights struggle; withholding labor is what shakes the capitalist class.”

To close, Tracey Schwerdtfeger offered her perspective as an emergency room nurse, Milwaukee resident and labor organizer. Her neighborhood has seen the effects of companies like Allis Chalmers, Harley-Davidson, and AO Smith moving plants to other countries, leaving working families to face home foreclosures and healthcare cuts. Now, local hospitals knowingly understaff wards despite the real, proven cost of human life.

Schwerdtfeger then encouraged those attending to get involved and take up the struggle for socialism. “Today is our holiday and our struggle for a better life continues.” She said of the capitalist class, “Their survival depends on our suffering.”

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #VDLF

Chicago, IL – Over 8000 people gathered in Union Park on May 1 to celebrate International Workers’ Day and march demanding protection for workers and immigrant rights.

Since May Day last year, Trump sent ICE and Customs and Border Patrol to Chicago for months of terror, with over 3000 members of immigrant communities arrested and taken away. The large contingents marching from immigrant communities in Union Park was a statement of courage.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said during his speech, “We are not going to stop fighting for every single worker and every single working family in this city and in this country and in this world,” and demanded that “we get our fair share of the equitable distribution of the wealth. Are you with me workers?”

Some of the principal organizers of this May Day protest included the Chicago Teacher Union (CTU), Service Employees International Union Health Care Illinois/Indiana, the Coalition Against the Trump Agenda (CATA), and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR).

CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said, “Workers united with communities, across cultures, across industries, win the fight every time. Do not give up your power to assemble and do not give up your power to organize. Workers over billionaires!”

This year CTU organized to make May Day a day of civic action in Chicago. Together with families, they brought out over 800 high school students to participate in the protest. Hundreds of university students and graduate employees were also in attendance.

Nadia Alyafai spoke at the rally for the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) and CATA. She said, “Our city is home to one of the largest Palestinian communities in the United States, alongside a broader Arab immigrant population that has long been at the frontlines of the immigrant rights and other movements in this city. We were there alongside many of you when we put almost a million people in the streets to defeat the Sensenbrenner bill in 2006, and now 20 years later we still are fighting strong for justice for our communities.”

CATA marched with a banner demanding “Legalization for all. Defend voting rights. Stop all U.S. wars!” They marched together with the immigrant rights contingent organized by ICIRR.

Chicago has played a crucial role in the labor and immigrant rights movements. May Day was born in Chicago, the center of the nationwide1886 strike for the eight-hour workday. The resulting repression of the labor movement led to workers around the world declaring May 1 to be International Workers’ Day. On March 10, 2006, Chicago held the first mega march of the immigrant rights movement. That movement then called for nationwide marches on May 1. Over 2 million immigrants and their supporters took to the streets that day, which also brought May Day back to the labor movement in the U.S.

#ChicagoIL #IL #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #CATA #Trump #CTU