May Day Protestors Denounce ICE, Trump
Annual demonstration drew thousands in support of workers, immigrant rights.
May Day protest in Milwaukee. Photo taken May 1, 2026 by Sophie Bolich.
Thousands marched north from Walker’s Point to Wisconsin Avenue on Friday for Milwaukee’s annual May Day demonstration supporting immigrants and the working class.
The crowd, carrying picket signs and shouting chants such as “no human is illegal” and “sí se puede,” gathered in front of the Milwaukee Federal Courthouse — a change from the usual endpoint at Zeidler Union Square Park — for a series of speeches from community leaders.
“We join over 3,000 actions across the country and tens of thousands of people in more than 30 cities — we are May Day strong,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, founding executive director of Voces de la Frontera and Voces de la Frontera Action.
May Day, or International Workers’ Day, is observed annually with labor strikes, marches and rallies commemorating the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago. In 2026, national organizers called for a general strike — “no work, no school, no shopping” — as a tactic to advocate for labor rights, highlight economic inequality and champion immigrant rights.
In the wake of a federal immigration crackdown that has included high-profile detentions in Milwaukee, the city’s demonstration focused on immigrants, with marchers denouncing President Donald Trump, the ultra-wealthy and federal agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“You are leading the way in the movement against authoritarianism, against white nationalism, against ICE Gestapo terror,” Neumann-Ortiz said to the crowd. “This society cannot run without the intelligence, creativity and labor of working people.”
Speakers called for politicians to defund ICE, reunite families and create “a dignified immigration system with a path to citizenship,” particularly for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, those with Temporary Protected Status and others fleeing danger in their home countries.
Neumann-Ortiz highlighted state-level demands, including urging candidates to support driver’s licenses for immigrants and the Keep Families Together package. “These bills protect us and our democracy,” she said.
José Ramirez, president of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) Milwaukee chapter, lambasted “career politicians” and pointed to the history of working-class solidarity.
“We didn’t get the eight-hour work day, weekends, labor and wage standards or the right to organize because career politicians — both Democrat and Republican — sympathized with us. They didn’t,” he said. “People died and bled for what we have today, and we have to understand that we are standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Others called for the release of detainees, including Elvira Benitez and Salah Sarsour. “Everywhere we turn, our rights are under attack,” said Ingrid Walker-Henry, president of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, who led attendees in a chant to “free Salah now.”
Sarsour’s oldest son, Kareem, reflected on his father’s March 30 detention. “Nobody should get that call,” he said. “By taking Salah Sarsour and many of our heroes, they want to silence us, scare us. Little do they know who we are and what we’re made of. We are united. We are strong, and we will speak back against the face of oppression.”
Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, remains in custody in Indiana.
The program concluded with a performance from Mariachi Mexico International, while two counter-protesters held a “Trump 2024” flag on the outskirts of the gathering.
A Madison demonstration paralleled the Milwaukee event, with dozens more taking place across the country. See a full list of planned actions online.
Photos
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