500 US Labor Groups Call May Day Blackout Amid $70 Billion ICE Funding Proposal

May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, sees rallies across the United States each year. This year’s actions are coordinated under the banner May Day Strong, which grew out of local boycotts after heightened immigration enforcement in Minneapolis and the deaths of two US citizens in January. The coalition says its goal is to put workers over billionaires and to challenge policies that favor the ultra‑wealthy.

About 500 labor organizations nationwide have pledged to halt school, work and shopping on May Day. The government has put forward $70 billion in funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Brendan Griffith, president of the NYC Central Labor Council, said corporate billionaires and the Project 2025 agenda have attacked workers’ rights since Inauguration Day, targeting people based on appearance, language or job type and undermining First Amendment freedoms.

In the past year, the administration has reclassified thousands of federal workers as at‑will employees, reduced staff at the National Labor Relations Board, and rolled back executive orders on AI transparency and workplace safety. These changes have limited avenues for workers to challenge dismissals, report unfair practices, and receive protections against unsafe conditions.

The blackout aims to disrupt normal economic activity to pressure lawmakers on immigration spending and broader labor protections. Organizers also demand higher taxes on the wealthy, abolition of ICE, an end to war and expansion of democratic participation. If the action draws significant participation, it could signal growing labor unrest ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. What to watch next: turnout figures from the blackout, any congressional response to the ICE funding proposal, and whether additional cities join the May Day Strong boycott in coming weeks.