Thursday, February 16th, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Following Today’s Day Without Immigrants, the Movement must Escalate to a General Strike on May 1st to Demand Trump Rescind Executive Orders on Immigration

Today, tens of thosands of immigrant workers and business owners have gone on strike and closed their businesses in resistance to Trump’s immigration raids. Today’s nationwide strike follows Wisconsin’s Day without Latinos, Immigrants, and Refugees on Monday, led by Voces de la Frontera, which has inspired immigrant workers and their supporters to rise up. Following Trump’s executive orders on immigration, ICE agents have targeted some of society’s most vulnerable members. In El Paso, a transgender domestic violence survivor was arrested by ICE at a courthouse after testifying against her abuser. ICE has arrested DACA recipients and people staying at homeless shelters.

Voces de la Frontera joins the Fair Immigration Reform Movement, Movimiento Cosecha and others in calling for a national general strike on May 1st to demand Trump rescind his executive orders on immigration.

“Following Monday’s Day Without Latinos, Immigrants, and Refugees in Wisconsin, we are witnessing a spontaneous groundswell of immigrant workers, small business owners, and our supporters taking similar bold action to demand an end to Trump’s deportation raids,” said Christine Neumann-Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera. “We applaud the leadership of immigrant workers and business owners around the country in using their economic power, and we call on community organizations to follow their lead. We invite organizations and the public to join us in coordinated, escalated actions nationwide leading up to a mass general strike on May 1st. Monday, May 1st, 2017, must be a national Day Without Latinos, Immigrants, and Refugees to demand Trump rescind all of his executive orders on immigration.”

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