CA Farmworkers Take a Stand on May Day: 'MAGA Means Mexicans Ain't Going Anywhere'

In Santa Maria, California, farmworkers and community supporters flooded the streets this past May Day with a bold declaration: “MAGA means Mexicans Ain’t Going Anywhere.” The rallying cry was emblazoned on signs protesting the harsh immigration raids that have shaken the region and spotlighting the vital role immigrant laborers play in putting food on American tables.

Fernando Martinez, an organizer with the Mixteco Indigenous Community Organizing Project (MICOP), explained that May Day has become a day of resistance against family separations and ICE’s aggressive enforcement. “Immigration enforcement has hit Santa Maria hard this year,” he said, “and even though farmworkers are the backbone of our county, they’ve been hurt the most.”

This defiant spirit harks back to the massive immigrant mobilizations of 2006, when millions turned out on May Day to block punitive immigration legislation. Today, immigrant communities on the Central Coast continue to reclaim May Day as a platform to protest exploitation and demand dignity.

The marches spread beyond Santa Maria to Paso Robles and Lompoc, towns where Mexican and Filipino immigrants have long powered local agriculture—from vineyards to strawberry fields to flower farms. In Lompoc, over 500 people took to the streets for a historic May Day demonstration, organized by groups including CAUSE and 805 Undocufund, which formed to defend against ICE raids.

Erica Diaz-Cervantes, policy director for CAUSE, highlighted the crushing economic pressure on families forced to choose between rent and food, especially after relentless immigration crackdowns and rising costs. Claudia Caceres, who runs the Spanish-language platform Tu Tiempo Digital, described a surge in food insecurity and single-parent households following ICE arrests.

The crisis is rooted in systemic poverty. A recent report, Harvesting Dignity, revealed that while the mean hourly wage for farmworkers in Santa Barbara County is $17.42, seasonal work and inconsistent hours mean many earn far less than needed to survive. Jorge Ruiz, a local farmworker, shared how his family struggles to cover a $2,000 monthly rent on seasonal wages.

Despite the hardships, organizers like Martinez understand why many can’t afford to skip work on May Day, even as they rally for change. “The harsh economic impact puts a huge burden on workers to come out for May Day,” he said, underscoring the complex balance between survival and resistance.

This May Day, California’s farmworkers sent a clear message: no matter the raids, economic strain, or political attacks, their labor and lives are indispensable—and they’re here to stay.