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Download .pdf leaflet (Baltimore)
These Attacks are Meant to Stop Us. We Can’t Let Them!
Announcement after announcement about planned executive orders have been filling up our news feeds in the first two weeks of Donald Trump’s second presidential term. From education to healthcare to food access to queer, trans, and immigrant rights, Trump’s administration has asserted plans to cut federal support for programs that many of us rely on. Due to public outrage, Trump rescinded his plan to freeze all federal funding. But the intended damage has already been done through disruption, fear, and division.
Trump used the horrific plane crash over D.C. to attack Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, which had nothing to do with the tragedy. Trump is using the loss of lives to push forward confusion and anger. In fact, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long struggled with staffing and requires highly trained operators to function. Trump’s promises to cut funding and fire federal employees has only further disrupted the functioning of the FAA and other important sectors that keep our society running.
Two emails were sent to all federal employees, urging them to quit and move to the private sector, implying that they may otherwise be fired. The Trump Administration’s agenda, following the far-right’s blueprint, is threatening the jobs of over three million people that carry our mail, do medical research, regulate food safety, and much more.
The Democratic Party has paved the way for these attacks through their policies and consistent inaction. Now, some Democratic officials are rightfully speaking out against cuts to funding. But their party’s actions, past and present, had little to do with winning the rights that have come under attack.
Most of the services the government provides that directly impact our lives have been won by public pressure, not through the concerns of those holding political power. This was also true when people spoke out against the recent attacks. It wasn’t the Democrats’ first response. They only responded when they saw the outpouring of anger across the country.
This is the way their political system works. We are supposed to believe that voting for candidates of the two parties that represent the rich and powerful will get us what we need, and that we just have to choose the right one. The reality is that it has always been regular people that have come together and demanded changes. That has resulted in programs like SNAP food stamps, education and health subsidies, the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and abortion protections. It was our mass movements that led to these changes. The politicians were forced to create them as concessions to keep our power at bay.
So why are we facing these threats to cut support to programs and services that we use and need most? The Trump administration claims they are cutting things in the name of “efficiency” and cutting “waste,” when in reality, these are the parts of the government that are most important and valuable for us. We face cuts in essential programs while the rich get cuts to their taxes. And our tax dollars flow into their government without our choice about what that money will fund.
They will cut programs they were forced to give us whenever they get the opportunity – so long as we aren’t threatening to push back. And that is exactly what we must do – push back!
We have the numbers and the forces to say that we will not allow these attacks, but we are currently out-organized. We can’t make this government work for us, but just as in the past, we can win the rights we deserve, and beyond – but only with a concerted, collective effort. We can’t rely on the courts to protect us or wait for the next elections.
Our time is now! Wherever we are, we can talk with people we know about the need to take action. We can join with others to defend people who are facing deportation or speak out at meetings. Figuring out what to do becomes easier when we are doing it with others. What happens next is up to us.
The Triangle, North Carolina: Responses to ICE Escalations
North Carolina’s immigrant population is on edge, fearing for our loved ones amidst increased ICE raids, rumors, and threats. At UNC Chapel Hill, the Chancellor’s heinous remarks spread fear as he re-affirmed his commitment to allow ICE to conduct raids on campus.
People are angry at these attacks. An overwhelming number showed up at trainings on how to respond to ICE spottings. In Durham and Raleigh, lines wrapped around the building, and hundreds were turned away due to capacity limitations.
This is a small glimpse of the type of response we need: when hundreds of people show up because we see that no one is coming to save us, except each other. We must show up, get active, and begin to learn the essential skills to all be organizers.
Bay Area, California: Fear of ICE Raids Grip the Bay
With the new Trump administration, fear of ICE raids and attacks on undocumented workers is spreading across the Bay Area. Federal agents were reported attempting to target janitorial workers in San Francisco and have been spotted in multiple cities, most notably San Jose, where at least one arrest has already been made this year.
City officials and police departments claim they will not collaborate with ICE, but that alone won’t stop the attacks or the fear that federal officials are fueling.
Protests and student walkouts have already begun. In several cities, people are organizing response networks and know-your-rights trainings. We must stand together, watch out for one another, and be ready to defend our communities.
Baltimore, Maryland: Utility Rate Hikes Attack Workers
In 2025, Baltimore will raise water rates 9.66%. More huge rate increases will happen in 2026 and again in 2027. This will cause many landlords to raise rents, and homeowners will have to pay for this directly.
On top of this, Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), a private company, will increase their bills on average by $250 a year. Meanwhile, in 2023 they cut service to 80,000 households who couldn’t afford to pay their bills. The number of shut-offs will rise as prices are raised.
People are rightly outraged at these appalling utility price increases. Utilities for our homes are not a luxury! Everyone needs them, but most working families and the elderly can’t afford these increases. Enough wealth exists to cover everyone’s basic needs, but the capitalist system we live in won’t allow it!
Newark, New Jersey: ICE Raid in Newark
Three workers were arrested on January 23 at a seafood warehouse in Newark. Several others, who are U.S. citizens were detained. Two were ordered to report to a hearing. The third was put into “removal proceedings” for overstaying a visa, which means the deportation process has begun.
The arrests happened in the Ironbound section of Newark, a traditionally working-class immigrant community within the city. Migrants from many Latin American nations live in this neighborhood and work difficult jobs, many supporting themselves and also sending money back to family in their home countries. In the days since the raid, many local workers are discussing their situation and their fear, and wondering how bad it will get. Working people need to stand together against this oppression, no matter where we were born.
