Unions Finally Step Up as Trump Deportations Hit Labor

Be mindful of the words of Catholic Priest Martin Niemöller, First they came for the immigrants, but I wasn’t one, so I said nothing …

Fortunately, the U.S. labor movement has begun to rally behind Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation (SMART) local 100 union brother, was illegally arrested by the Trump administration’s Draconian Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  On March 15^th the was deported to El Salvador where he remains in the maximum security Center for Confinement of Terrorists (CECOT) without due process.

The building trades have rallied for the return Garcia back to his home and family. Sean McGarvey, the President of the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU), has demanded that Garcia be returned. Just two months ago, a NABTU leaked memo showed their willingness to remain silent on Trump actions affecting the working class, it appears attacking one of their members finally forced them to step up. In a statement McGarvey said:

“We need to make our voices heard. We’re not red, we’re not blue, we’re the building trades; the backbone of America. You want to build a five billion dollar data center? Want more six-figure careers with healthcare, retirement, and no college debt? You don’t call Elon Musk! You call us!”

And further,

“And yeah, that means all of us. All of us! Including our brother, SMART apprentice Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who we demand to be returned to us and his family now! Bring him home!”

SMART in conjunction with the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), of which Garcia was a member, have held rallies for his return.

World Federation of Trade Unions affiliate, Roofers Local 36, has created and circulated a petition to bring Garcia home.

It must be understood that the deportations of trade unionist Kilmar Garcia and others, without due process, is an attack by monopoly against labor. This is proven by Donald Trump’s own statement to El Salvador president Nayib Bukele,

“I said homegrowns are next, the homegrowns. You gotta build about five more places.” Trump is apparently employing the tactic of attacking the “weakest link” in hopes that it will create little to no resistance among the broader labor movement. The building trades unions have so far countered, this marks a huge shift as the building trades unions historically have held reactionary views, especially on immigration. The solidarity among the building trades unions demonstrates that the labor slogan, “an injury to one is an injury to all,” is learned through experience—the hard way. With this we must ask the question, which side are you on?