Through The Rain, Thousands March For Immigrant Rights

Protesters march in support of immigrant and workers rights on May 1, 2025. Photo by Sophie Bolich.

Thousands of protesters holding banners, flags, signs and umbrellas gathered on Milwaukee’s South Side Thursday to march through the cold rain in support of immigrants and workers rights.

Led by Voces de la Frontera, the May Day marchers stepped off from the immigrant rights organization’s Mitchell Street office and traveled north over the 6th Street bridges.

Along the way, organizers led the crowd in chants like “get up, get down, Milwaukee is a union town” and “up, up with education, down, down with deportation.”

Some carried banners in support of Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University activist detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongfully deported to a Salvadoran prison; and Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who was publicly arrested last week.

The approximately two-mile route concluded at Zeidler Union Square, 301 W. Michigan St., where a series of speakers railed against the Trump Administration, advocated for essential workers and stood in solidarity with undocumented immigrants.

“Today is a pivotal moment for the resistance to Trump‘s efforts to create an authoritarian government that only serves billionaires,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera. “We stand together to resist the mass layoffs of federal employees, the gutting of social programs like public education and healthcare policies of mass deportation and the assaults on our constitutional rights due process, free speech and the freedom to protest.”

Joey Sprague, who attended the march with her husband and daughter, said she’s a regular at demonstrations — now more than ever.

“We just go to every march that happens,” she said, noting her alarm over the increase in immigrant detentions amid concerns over due process. “We’re in terrible danger … I’m also worried for my grandchildren’s future, I’m worried about the climate and I’m worried about the crashing economy.”

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) had strong representation at the march, including student speakers from Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), along with dozens of teachers and other employees.

Farit Kuri-Azamar, an MPS educator, was in attendance with several coworkers. “I’m here today just trying to exercise my rights as an individual in the United States and to show support for people such as myself — a proud immigrant, and someone that teaches immigrants as well,” Kuri-Azamar said.

Mayor Cavalier Johnson addressed those assembled before the march, calling for fair laws and policies. “America’s story is the story of the immigrant,” he said. “It does not matter if we came here on our own volition it does not matter if we were brought here against our own volition. All of us came from somewhere else. This is our home and it does not matter what any politician says.”

The mayor commended the 10 Milwaukee Common Council members in attendance: JoCasta Zamarripa, Scott Spiker, Sharlen P. Moore, Russell W. Stamper II, José G. Pérez, Andrea Pratt, Robert Bauman, Larresa Taylor, Peter Burgelis, and Marina Dimitrijevic.

Representative Ryan Clancy was also among the marchers, along with Milwaukee County Supervisors Caroline Gómez-Tom, Marcelia Nicholson, Juan Miguel Martinez, Justin Bielinski, Shawn Rolland, Anne O’Connor, Steven Shea and Jack Eckblad.

“Immigrants and workers are the backbone of our community,” the supervisors said in a statement. “We stand united in advocating for dignity, safety and opportunity for every family that calls Milwaukee County home.”

Additional speakers included Milwaukee Board of School Directors President Missy Zombor, former Judge James A. Gramling, Jr., University of Wisconsin – Parkside Professor Gregory Cramer and Comité Sin Fronteras Founder Fernanda Jimenez-Hauch.

May Day demonstrations take place worldwide on the first of the month. Though originally created to commemorate and celebrate the struggles and gains of the working class, the holiday has evolved to encompass a wide range of social justice causes.

The Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) and YES held additional events across the city Thursday, including walk-ins at Fernwood Montessori and Allen-Field Elementary, and a student rally at the MPS Central Office, 5225 W. Vliet St.

Voces de la Frontera will lead a second march on Friday, May 2, in Madison, demanding state driver’s licenses for immigrants, access to higher education and a stop to anti-immigrant policies.

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