Immigrant and Labor Workers Unite in NYC to Fight Trump-Era Attacks on Rights This May Day

On May 1, New York City’s Washington Square Park and Foley Square became the stage for a powerful display of solidarity as thousands of immigrant and labor workers came together to mark International Workers’ Day. Organized by the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, the New York Immigration Coalition, and other unions and immigrant groups, the march spotlighted the critical role immigrant workers play in sustaining New York’s economy — while facing relentless threats from the Trump administration.

Immigrant workers power essential industries across the city, from construction sites and hospitals to restaurants and delivery routes. They contribute an estimated $3.1 billion annually in state and local taxes, funding vital public services. Yet under the Trump administration, these workers have been targeted with aggressive ICE raids, rollbacks of Temporary Protected Status, and attacks on labor rights — including stripping federal workers of bargaining rights and canceling union contracts.

“This is a direct attack on the entire Labor Movement,” said Brendan Griffith, President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. “Since Inauguration Day, corporate billionaires and the Project 2025 agenda have driven attacks on our rights and freedoms, targeting workers based on how we look, the language we speak, or the work we do.”

The marchers emphasized that labor rights and immigrant rights are inseparable. Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, stressed the urgent need for legislation like New York for All to ensure immigrant workers can live without fear of deportation simply for supporting their families.

Union leaders from various sectors echoed this call. Manny Pastreich of 32BJ SEIU highlighted the intersectional fight for workers’ rights, immigrant justice, healthcare, climate action, and democracy — all under siege in the current political climate. Suzanne Englot of AFGE Local 3911, representing federal workers, framed their ongoing struggle to reclaim union rights as existential in the face of “unfair and inhumane treatment.”

The march was not only a protest but a declaration of worker power and collective dignity. Theodore A. Moore of the Alliance for a Greater New York called May Day a reminder that “the working class is fighting back” against corporate greed and systemic injustice. Ned Hanlon of the American Guild of Musical Artists reminded that all workers, from artists to delivery riders, deserve respect, safety, and fair compensation.

This year’s May Day rally in New York City was a defiant stand against the Trump administration’s authoritarian tactics aimed at dividing and weakening workers. It made clear that immigrant and labor solidarity remains a formidable force pushing back against corruption, exploitation, and attacks on democracy. As these workers marched shoulder to shoulder, their message was unmistakable: when immigrant workers are under attack, all workers are at risk — and only collective action can secure justice for all.