Wisconsin Immigrants and Allies Shut Down Work and School in Defiant May Day Protests

On May Day, immigrant workers and their allies took to the streets across Wisconsin in a coordinated “Day Without Immigrants” protest, demanding an end to the state’s complicity in federal immigration crackdowns and calling for sweeping reforms to protect immigrant communities.

Organized by Voces de la Frontera, a Milwaukee-based immigrant workers’ rights group, the protests included marches in Madison and Milwaukee as part of a nationwide day of action known as May Day Strong. The message was clear: no work, no school, no shopping. In Milwaukee, protesters gathered at Voces’ offices before marching to the Federal Building. In Madison, participants met at the University of Wisconsin campus and marched to the state Capitol.

The protests drew broad support, including from Madison Teachers Inc., the union representing local educators, which officially endorsed the walkout. Madison Public Schools canceled classes in anticipation of widespread absences. MTI’s statement on the action emphasized the crisis facing vulnerable communities under current immigration enforcement policies. “Our students are experiencing heightened anxiety, leading to absences and trouble concentrating at school,” the union said, highlighting the fear that ICE agents could target their families or friends.

Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, framed this year’s May Day protests as a critical escalation in the fight against growing inequality and state-sanctioned repression. Speaking from the Wisconsin State Capitol, Neumann-Ortiz called for the abolition of ICE and citizenship for all, while also demanding the end of 287g agreements—local law enforcement partnerships with ICE that have expanded aggressively across Wisconsin. She described these agreements as a “cancer” spreading through the state.

The protests also aimed to expose the brutal realities faced by immigrant communities, including militarized raids, racial profiling, warrantless arrests, and deadly detention conditions. “This is a day of solidarity with immigrant workers and families being terrorized by these abuses,” Neumann-Ortiz said, stressing the urgent need to defend constitutional rights regardless of immigration status.

Actions were planned in nearly 40 locations statewide, underscoring a growing movement pushing back against the Trump administration’s immigration policies and their local enablers. This May Day, Wisconsin’s immigrant communities and their supporters made clear that they will not be silenced or erased.

The “Day Without Immigrants” protests are a stark reminder of the human cost of immigration enforcement and the urgent need for accountability and reform. As these communities continue to resist, the call to abolish ICE and dismantle the for-profit detention system grows louder—and more impossible to ignore.