Immigrants, allies call for no work, no school, no shopping Dec. 18
2 min read
Jazmin Flores: Did you know that in 2006, immigrant workers shut this country down to fight for their rights and basic human dignity in a wave of protest called DÃa Sin Un Inmigrante or A Day Without an Immigrant?
Across the country, immigrant workers organized protests, walkouts, rallies, and defeated the racist Sensenbrenner bill, walking out of work and into the streets in the millions on May 1, 2006.
The protest spread from city to city and became one of the largest general strikes in modern U.S. history. Immigrant workers made their voices heard and their power known that this country cannot run without them, and together we can shut it down to win our demands.
Today, day after day, ICE raids and kidnappings are tearing our communities apart. So now, in the face of ICE terror here in Lane County and across the country, many are asking the question: Could it happen again? And could a general strike unite all workers to defeat the terror created by ICE and successfully fight back against Trump and the entire billionaire agenda?
Well, good news: Pineros y Campesinos (Unidos) del Noroeste, PCUN, the Oregon Farmworkers Union, has put out a call for a series of visibility actions over the next several months leading up to May 1, 2026, the 20th anniversary of that historic fight.
Starting Dec. 18, they’re calling for all Oregon workers, citizen and immigrant alike, to commit to no work, no school, and no shopping on these days. Be a part of the demonstrations and show that without us, the workers, this country shuts down.
Organizers and community members from all over Lane County will be out in Eugene and in Springfield, demonstrating and showing their support and helping to build real power: people power. Sign the pledge right now. Join us in an immigrant mass movement because together, united we can fight back, defend our immigrant neighbors, and win.
