Members in three 1199 regions took to the streets on January 23 to demonstrate their solidarity with the immigrants and activist allies in Minnesota who have been subjected to brutal ICE enforcement actions in recent weeks.

In the face of indiscriminate and unjustified attacks by the Federal government on immigrant communities, members took part in a Day of Truth and Freedom. 1199ers in New York City, Syracuse and Boston, Massachusetts, took to the streets in protest against the ongoing violence in Minneapolis throughout January.

Haley Pessin, an 1199 Paralegal with the Legal Aid Society in NYC, said: “I came out today because I’m outraged by what is happening in Minneapolis—the absolute denial of any kind of civil liberties, whether you’re a citizen or not. They are cracking down on children and arresting people for lawful activity. If you think it’s not coming for you, you’re wrong. It’s coming for all of us. We don’t want to see this in New York either.”

Members were united in their demand for the immediate withdrawal of ICE from our streets. Working people will not allow the federal government to violate rights, militarize the streets, or put communities in danger.

In NYC, the march turned the spotlight on corporations like Amazon, Home Depot, and Palantir, which are profiteering from ICE’s actions to rip apart our communities.