In response to the Trump administration’s chilling actions to curtail free speech, working folks organizing with the Service Workers Worldwide Union (SEIU) took to the streets on Tuesday, rallying from coast-to-coast to sentence the administration’s assaults on the First Modification and demand the rapid launch of SEIU members unjustly detained by the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) company.
SEIU advised Caribbean Life on Tuesday that Fulbright Scholar, Tufts Ph. D scholar in Baby Examine and Human Improvement, and SEIU Native 509 member Rumeysa Ozturk was arrested in Boston final week.
SEIU additionally stated College of Washington Lab technician, authorized inexperienced card holder, and SEIU Native 925 member Lewelyn Dixon was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport in late February. Each stay in ICE detention.
By noon Tuesday, SEIU stated employees have been in movement in Charleston, W. Va.; New York Metropolis; Washington D.C.; Fairfax, Va.; Texas and past – chanting “Free speech, free employees!” and holding indicators blaring “Free Rumeysa” and “Staff is not going to be silenced.”
On the similar time, SEIU launched a six-figure advert marketing campaign Tuesday that includes digital adverts and projections on buildings in Washington D.C. and elsewhere defending free speech, blaring “We Combat Collectively: Free unjustly detained union members,” and “Free Speech. Free Staff. Staff are rising as much as defend our 1st Modification rights.”
As working folks throughout the nation raised their voices on social media to train their First Modification rights, SEIU members and allies – together with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) – flooded social media with messages of solidarity and movies studying the complete textual content of the First Modification utilizing #4the1st.
“Solidarity is about standing collectively and taking motion,” stated SEIU Worldwide President April Verrett in a video she posted on X. “It’s about saying an damage to certainly one of us is an damage to all of us. This administration is simply getting began.
“So, we have now to face collectively, united to face up for our members, for our neighborhood, for our folks, for the values of our nation,” she added.
Verrett stated employees and allies will proceed holding actions from coast to coast.
SEIU stated Rumeysa Ozturk was “intentionally ambushed” final week by masked, plainclothes ICE brokers as she was strolling on a public road.
Surveillance video exhibits the officers surrounding and restraining her earlier than taking her away. She stays in ICE detention, SEIU stated.
It additionally stated Lewelyn Dixon was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport on Feb. 28 after coming back from a visit overseas.
SEIU stated she is a authorized inexperienced card holder who has lawfully resided within the U.S. for 50 years. She stays in ICE detention.
“Detentions like these usually are not remoted incidents. They arrive amid a wave of Trump administration actions concentrating on inexperienced card holders and different immigrants with lawful standing throughout the nation,” Verrett stated.
“These assaults on immigrant employees is a furtherance of the administration’s unprecedented assault on employees and their unions.
