Immigrant and workers’ rights organizations on Monday announced a national strike to take place on May 1, commonly known as May Day, to demonstrate the critical role of immigrant labor in the U.S. economy.

Hundreds of thousands of workers have already pledged to participate in the strike known as the “Day Without Immigrants.” Organizers are expecting it to be the biggest turnout for this kind of event since the 2006 immigration reform marches, which saw over a million people take to the streets in hundreds of cities across the country in protest of raising penalties for undocumented immigration.

This year, they will be taking a stand against the criminalization of black and brown communities, raids and deportations, and worker exploitation under President Donald Trump, who is known for his xenophobic policies and rhetoric.
“Without workers, who does Trump think will harvest the crops, craft the food, transport it to market, stock the shelves, cook in kitchens, and serve the meals?”
—Jose Oliva,
Food Chain Workers Alliance

The protests will follow a series of strikes in February, which saw thousands protesting anti-immigrant bills in Wisconsin under the banner #DayWithoutLatinos.