Protecting Worker Rights Under Project 2025: The Changing Landscape on Immigration Enforcement & the Need for Worker Solidarity

On January 8th, 2025, the NYC Central Labor Council (CLC), in collaboration with the Worker Institute and Labor Leadership Initiatives at Cornell ILR, hosted a strategic conversation focused on the potential impacts of the upcoming Trump administration’s policies on workers' rights as outlined in Project 2025. Approximately 100 policy experts, union leaders, and immigrant worker advocates gathered to share their expertise, experiences, and concerns about the future of labor rights and immigrant worker protections.

The event served as both a platform for critical reflection and a call to action. Moving forward, unity, strategic planning, and sustained advocacy will be essential to ensuring that the rights of all workers—regardless of immigration status—are protected.

Among the speakers was John Joe Lowndes, a Visiting Distinguished Lecturer at Hunter College. Dr. Lowndes is a scholar of American politics, right-wing movements, populism, and race. He discussed how the second Trump administration differs from the first, noting that this time the Trump campaign has managed to build a multiracial working-class coalition to promote a pro-business, pro-authoritarian regime agenda that threatens the foundational principles of a pluralistic democracy. He emphasized that as advocates for justice, it is critical to understand how this coalition came to be. Furthermore, he pointed out that Trump has made efforts to reach out to labor unions to avoid being perceived as anti-worker, even appointing a moderate, labor-friendly Latina as the head of the U.S. Department of Labor. He concluded by stating that the American public does not want to feel unprotected or stripped of remaining social protections and that there is an opportunity to organize a coalition to advocate for the American middle class.

Professor Shannon Gleeson added that in the context of right-wing populism, leaders often employ a "divide and conquer" approach that promotes division within the working class by creating a sense of ‘otherness’. She noted that attacks on workers, dismantling the public sector, weakening the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), threatening wages, and eliminating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs represent real assaults on workers. Additionally, anti-immigrant rhetoric has been instrumental in fostering this division within the voting bloc.

Other speakers, including Deborah Wright, Political Director of RWDSU-UFCW, Nadia Marin-Molina, Co-Executive Director of NDLON, and Shannon Lederer, Director of Immigration at the National AFL-CIO, emphasized the vital role of unions and worker centers in defending the rights of immigrant workers. They highlighted the importance of coalition building and solidarity as strategies to resist the expanding powers of the federal government, which may include workplace raids and enhanced use of E-Verify, particularly impacting sectors with high concentrations of low-immigrant workers, such as meatpacking, construction, and logistics.

Additional discussions included presentations by Janet Rolon Fry, Deputy Executive Director of the Community Resource Center (also known as the Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont and Mamaroneck), who reminded attendees that community groups like worker centers play a critical role in defending immigrant rights during times of attack. Expanding coalitions and educating workers about their rights and power is essential for navigating the next four years of increased immigration enforcement.

Arianna Schindle, Director of Training and Curriculum Design for Worker Rights and Equity at the ILR Worker Institute, and Natalia Navas, Extension Associate with Labor Leadership Programs, facilitated workshops addressing three critical questions: What does a second Trump administration mean for worker rights? What tactics can be employed to protect workers, their families, and their communities? And how can we build a holistic alternative to harmful anti-labor and anti-immigrant policies?

In her closing remarks, Patricia Campos-Medina, Executive Director of the Worker Institute, affirmed that the Institute is a valuable resource for all advocates seeking to expand worker rights. Through research, training, and educational forums, they aim to bring stakeholders together to develop strategies that empower workers.

Similar discussions are planned for upstate New York and Long Island in Spring 2025.

For more information on additional discussions related to Project 2025, contact Arianna Schindle at as947@cornell.edu or Natalia Navas at nsn3@cornell.edu.