More than 100 federal workers, union members, and allies rallied July 30 in downtown Portland to protest immigration raids at workplaces and federal buildings.
“What we’re seeing happen right now is not what any of us as federal employees signed up for. We’re here to serve. We’re not here to terrorize,” American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2157 member and Veterans Affairs employee Nina Sparr told the crowd. “We took an oath to the Constitution — not to a king, not to any administration.”
The event was organized by the Federal Unionist Network (FUN), an informal network of federal union members.
IBEW Local 48 supported the rally with members holding union banners. Local 48 Business Manager Garth Bachman told the crowd he was there because immigration raids affect all workers, in both private and public sectors.
“I’m going to stand here and I’ll catch some heat from some of our members tomorrow, more than likely, and that’s okay. I’m proud to be here, and I’m proud of all of our members that are here, and I’m proud of all of you,” Bachman said.
Portland-area unions have passed resolutions in defense of immigrants since Trump was reelected. “IBEW Local 48 will explore the best ways to mobilize its membership to defend immigrants who are under attack either from government raids or racist groups,” that union’s January resolution stated.
“Part of our work as organized workers is to protect ourselves, but not simply stop at wages, hours, and working conditions, but to take up the cause of fighting any form of oppression,” said Local 48 member Will Duran.
David Glennon, a member of Laborers Local 335, presented the Federal Unionist Network’s list of demands, which include ending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in workplaces, ending expedited deportations, and requiring ICE agents to clearly identify themselves and provide their names, badge numbers, and signed warrants if making an arrest. Workers can and should make demands of ICE and of elected officials, Glennon told the crowd of union workers and organizers.
“Do we expect to get our demands the first time we ask?” Glennon asked. “If we want our demands to be met, we need to be prepared, as working people, to take collective action. We can’t give them any choice but to respond to our demands.”
Union members turned out to support those non-citizens who are taking jobs away from union members despite that they’re in the country illegally? Sure, that makes sense.
I wholeheartedly support this show of solidarity. As we have seen, union sisters and brothers have gotten swept up in these cruel ICE raids (see this https://wfse.org/news/wfse-demands-ice-release-dcyf-union-member and this https://labornotes.org/2025/06/iam-max-machinists-rally-for-member-detained-ice for just two examples). Furthermore, every union member who buys food for their family, who works in an office that gets cleaned at night, that has family members in long-term-care facilities, or who gets their car washed depends on the labor of immigrant workers.
The way that those with economic and political power defeat us is by dividing us and claiming that some workers are more worthy than others. This kind of solidarity is critical to building a just and equitable economy for all of us.