Millions of people took to the streets in the US on 14 June, tens of thousands marched in thousands of cities and towns in ‘No Kings’ demos, protesting against Donald Trump’s presidency.
They came at the end of a week of protests against immigration (ICE) raids in Los Angeles, including protests in solidarity nationwide, in which Trump sent in the National Guard and Marines. California’s Democrat establishment politicians haven spoken out in opposition, including using the courts to try to overturn Trump’s actions, exposing the deep splits within the US ruling capitalist class.
Even before the over one-million-strong ‘Hands Off’ protests on 5 April, and now these even bigger protests, there had been three times as many protests by the end of March 2025 than there were in 2017, during Trump’s first term.
Trump’s authoritarian actions are provoking struggle, in which the trade unions and workers’ movement should put itself central, fighting for a mass working-class political alternative.
US trade unions respond to ICE raids
All eyes have been turned towards Los Angeles as ICE raids have kindled mass protests across the city. Amid the burgeoning turmoil sparking in LA, the image of David Huerta, an arrested union leader, pervaded demonstrations. Huerta’s union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), represents 45,000 service workers in California. He was arrested as an observer of an anti-ICE protest on the 6 June. Huerta was immediately hospitalised after being pushed to the ground by federal agents. He now faces federal charges with a maximum sentence of six years in federal prison.
Huerta’s arrest comes at a time when the Trump administration casts a dark shadow over workers’ movements. The SEIU has already seen four members or leaders, who are legal residents, detained by the Trump administration. The purpose of these ICE raids is to try to provoke fear among the working class, a significant proportion of which are migrants, including by repressing the workers’ movement.
Importantly, trade unions across the US responded to Huerta’s arrest with solidarity statements and by organising rallies in 200 cities.
Manny Pastreich, a union branch leader of the SEIU, told The Guardian in New York City: “Everything we hold dear is under attack. Unions, workers, freedom, immigrant communities, healthcare, the constitution, our union brothers and sisters. We must fight back. We reject these attacks on our communities and demand the immediate release of our union brother David Huerta.”
Around 15% of trade union members in the US are immigrants, rising to around a quarter in California. Many of the ICE raids have taken place in workplaces. The workers’ movement has a central role to play mobilising workers and communities in defense against raids, and also linking struggles of all workers facing attacks from the Trump administration.
It is this extreme example of immigration intolerance that should encourage UK workers to reflect on the Labour Party’s crackdown on immigration. Nearly a fifth of all workers are foreign-born. Migrant workers, most notably, make up 32% of care workers in England. Starmer is threatening further restrictions in these workers’ visas.
These transatlantic restrictions on immigrant workers reveal the true hope of these governments. For it’s not about protecting citizens; it’s about scapegoating immigrants to disenfranchise workers.
One demonstration sign from LA put it best: “Billionaires are the real enemy. NOT immigrants.”
Jamie Speka, West London Socialist Party
How can you protest Trump’s visit?
Organise a meeting at your school, college or uni
- Discuss with your friends and classmates – invite them to a meeting, it could be in a classroom, cafeteria or even a local cafe
- Make a social media graphic to share, posters to put up, and leaflets to distribute to get people along
Organise a protest on Day X
- Once we know the date of Trump’s visit to parliament, put out a time and place for the protest
- Bring a megaphone and banners, make up some chants, and invite some speakers to explain why they are protesting
Join Socialist Students
- Be part of an organisation fighting for socialist change at schools, colleges and unis all over the country. Visit socialiststudents.org.uk/join
