Week of Action: Migrant workers, unite to fight fascism, exploitation, and war! Grassroots Migrants, Refugees, Fight! Fight for our Livelihood and Oppose US Wars of Aggression!
Join the movement across the U.S. in Unity to End the Crisis and Suffering of the People!
April 28 – May 8, 2026
Context
The entire economy is in crisis and people in countries like the Philippines, Nepal, and India that depend on oil imports are being hit hard with rising prices. Our families in our homelands are feeling the crisis every day and most are not able to afford basic necessities. Migrant workers in the U.S. have taken on more work hours, with some working 24-hour live-in caregiving shifts for weeks without a day off.
At the same time, state attacks on migrant and all workers have heightened, stripping away access to basic services and creating fear of being detained at the workplace, places of worship, schools, or while traveling. Migrant workers across the country are being denied access to assistance to nationals relief programs that are allocated by home governments that are meant to provide legal, medical, and repatriation services for overseas workers. Instead, we are seeing the rise of corrupt right-wing bureaucrats plunder these funds, spend lavishly on travel and luxury items, and enrich themselves while the people are clamoring for change!
To address the current economic crisis, the U.S. is trying to coerce its allies, puppets, and countries it has dominance over to funnel more resources to build their military capacity and war economies. The masses of people in the U.S. and around the world are opposed to these wars, the intensified military presence in our homelands, and are fed up with ICE militarized terror in our communities. As mass movements in the global south are waging decisive campaigns of resistance from the countryside to the urban cities; more and more are being moved to mobilize in solidarity with the people of the world resisting U.S. Imperialism.
Most recently, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that are funded by US military aid and trained alongside US troops, massacred 19 Filipinos and displaced 650+ people in Toboso, Negros Occidental from April 19 to 20, 2026 kicking off the start of one of the largest ever “Balikatan” shoulder-to-shoulder military exercises yet. Among the 19 whose lives were cruelly taken were Filipino-Americans Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem, who chose to return home to live with communities in Negros and learn first-hand their daily hardships and experiences under state repression.
April 28 to May 8 is a Week of Action for migrant workers in the U.S. to unite and make our voices heard. Why?
On May 5-8, 2026, the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) will be held at the United Nations (UN) in New York City. The IMRF is a state-led forum organized by the UN Network on Migration with the support of the UN General Assembly to discuss and guide governments or UN "member states" in "managing" international migration.
The Philippines is among the top four remittance sending countries alongside Mexico, India, and China. Hans Leo J. Cacdac - the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary, has been leading the charge to position the Philippines as a leader in the IMRF and a "model country" in facilitating migration for economic development. In reality, the Philippines’ Labor Export Policy is a system that relies on tearing families apart from their loved ones and their home country, rather than creating opportunities for them to work at home. The Labor Export Policy is propped up as the "gold standard" for global migration policy through its remittances system, but the reality for a majority of overseas workers is the precarity of forced migration including labor trafficking and migrant deaths.
Not only is the UN advancing neoliberal policies to maintain dependence and oppression of nations, it also enables US led war. The UN Security Council (UNSC) votes on matters related to war, human rights, peace and security. The permanent members (US, China, France, Russian Federation, UK) have the exclusive right to veto any decision made. The US has vetoed every resolution calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza since Oct 2023, and recently, a resolution regarding the US' war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was vetoed by Russia and China, placing sole responsibility of the conflict on Iran. The IMRF will be another key lobby opportunity for Marcos to make his case for the Philippines to join as a non-permanent member of the UNSC (competing against Kyrgyzstan), with a vote slated for this June 3. This bid is surely part of the US' Indopacific strategy and war build up in the Asia Pacific to threaten China and will reinforce Marcos' subservience to the US to secure more military aid. Marcos is and will become one of the biggest security threats not just to the Filipino people but the people of the world.
It is in this vein that we are calling for a Week of Action - to expose the corruption and violence of the U.S. and its collusion with puppet governments by highlighting the realities of the oppressed peoples and migrant workers across the U.S. Weraise our demands as a united movement fighting to end the crisis and suffering of the people. This Week of Action is an opportunity for our movements to respond to the UN's IMRF and bring the grassroots migrants movement to counter the imperialist forum with our people's demands and solutions!
Our Demands
We unite as migrant workers from all sectors - service workers, day laborers, farm workers, gig workers, domestic workers, caregivers, construction workers, fast food workers and more; to demand an end to the state terrorism waged against migrants! We unite to fight Trump's fascist policies, intensifying wars of aggression, and are resolved to organize in defense of our communities day in and day out until our demands are met.
Sign on to the Migrant Workers Declaration that draws from the demands of various migrant campaigns and fights that we uplift this Week of Action to counter the IMRF narrative on migration and hold our home governments accountable!
Our Demands:
For the Freedom to Reside with Status
We demand the for the freedom to reside with status -- to stop the persecution of undocumented migrants. We demand protection of temporary statuses alongside a clear pathway that allows for migrants to be able to reside in the US without living under precarious circumstances.
We demand that the United States resume processing visa applications from asylum-seekers and migrants who have been forced to leave their homelands due to the economic destabilization and insecurity caused by the intervention of countries like the US in our home economies.
For home country governments to be accountable to their nationals and face the consequences of your criminal neglect and collusion with the U.S under Trump. Consular officials across the country must also face migrant workers in their areasto ensure immediate action on their concerns.
For the Freedom to Work
We reject the United Nation's, International Migration Review Forums (IMRF) migration for development framework, that encourages our homelands to create policies and agreements globally that systematize the labor trafficking of our people or recruit them into low-paying, exploitative, and dangerous jobs -- only aimed at providing cheap labor to the richest corporations.
We demand increased protections for victims of trafficking and fraudulent, coercive employment contracts by expanding the availability of and eligibility for humanitarian visas.We Demand that Employers guilty of abusing their workers be shut down. We demand governments to investigate and prosecute employers and recruitment agencies that traffic migrant workers, rather than violate their workers rights be held accountable and actions taken to ensure they pay workers any wages owed.
We demand our home countries to focus on industrialization in our homelands, for the imperialist countries to end the intervention, war, and sanctions in our countries -- so that we can work and have a living wage in our homelands.
For the Right to Access to Healthcare, Resources and Livelihood
Provide the necessary means for a dignified life for migrants living and residing in this country. Remove the barriers to and providing dignified housing, right to education, to health care, to the ability to work and the ability of movement to and from their homelands that continue to be ravaged by U.S. imperialism.
We demand an end of to the roll back of access to social services for migrants under the One Big Beautiful Act including the removal of healthcare for elderly and trans migrants.
We Demand Immediate Relief for the People, including steps to ensure all migrant workers can easily access urgent services and support.
Release immediate assistance to migrant workers demanding "Assistance to Nationals" from the Philippines and the México te Abraza repatriation program of Mexico.
We demand an end to the 24-hour work day for home care workers in NYC!
We Demand immediate steps be taken to address the crisis and rising prices in the Philippines. Ensure full implementation of emergency powers and implement immediate reforms to lessen the impact of rising prices for our loved ones back home. Remove the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Excise Tax. Repeal the Oil Deregulation Act. Implement a Wealth Tax on Billionaires to generate funds for immediate subsidies to the poorest families.
For the Freedom to Fight
We demand the freedom to fight against worker exploitation and greed collectively. We demand that migrant workers, particularly farm workers fighting for their right to unionized be recognized immediately.
Stop the legal prosecution of migrant rights activists and organizations who are resisting and exposing human rights violations carried out by the US government on a daily basis. Drop the charges on the Prarieland 19, Baldwin Park 3 and other similar legal cases.
We denounce the retaliation of migrants in detention that are self-organizing inside the facilities against medical neglect and horrific conditions, that are exposing the realities including sexual assault and migrant deaths at the hands of ICE agents.
For Freedom for All Migrants, Detainees, and Political Prisoners! ICE Out of Our Communities!
Intervene through diplomatic protest to push for the release of unjustly detained Filipinos such as Yaakub and Jonah.
Hands off migrant women and children!
Justice for Esther and Baby Heidy! Justice for Las Madres Unidas en la Lucha! Justice for Alma Bowman! Release all pregnant people! No child in ICE detention!
Defend Laotian and SE Asian Refugees!
For an End to All US-Led Wars and Military Interventions
We Demand Justice for Lyle, Kai, the Negros 19, and all those who have fallen victim to state violence!
We demand an immediate and independent investigation into the AFP’s April 19 & 20 attacks.
We demand an end to U.S. funding and support for the brutal, fascist Marcos Jr. administration
An End to war rehearsals, military exercises, and the expansion of US bases that are leading to internal and external displacement of entire communities, that contribute to the worsening plunder the land, and make way for extraction of critical minerals to feed the war machine.
An end to US-backed counterinsurgency in our homelands, using state violence against legitimate people's movements. End US aid to fascist regimes! End the genocide in Palestine!
An end to attacks on nations defending their land and people from foreign plunder and control, including repression of their nationals living in the US. End the blockade on Cuba! End war and sanctions on Iran!
We demand fascist regimes and war criminals known to violate International Humanitarian Law be held accountable for their crimes against humanity!
No UN Security Council seat for fascist regimes! No to Marcos on the UNSC!
We Demand that all officials found guilty of corruption be immediately fired and held accountable. End all policies allowing easy corruption of public funds
What Can You Do?
Endorse the Week of Action: https://tinyurl.com/migrants-fight-woa
Donate to support the grassroots needs to organize the week of action, help us raise $5000 to support Week of Action operations – Venmo: @IMA-USA or through the website (note: GMRF Week of Action)
Join the planning teams for nationally coordinated activities in NYC outside of the UN, consulates, embassies of our home governments.
Organize "echo" actions in your cities at significant sites for migrant struggle so we may amplify our clamor for change across the country!
Reach out to and involve more organizations to take up these joint campaigns and the Week of Action.
Participate:
Release and re-post a variety of stories, music, photos, and statements to highlight the struggles and demands of migrant workers!
Show up to our actions, see registration to attend
Bring coworkers, colleagues, family, and friends
Share and help promote this Week of Action on social media
Add your actions to the Week of Action Calendar! Join us in planning and mobilizing support for:
April 28: Day of the Fallen Worker / Día de los Trabajadores Caídos
April 30: Virtual Press Conference highlighting campaigns across the U.S. and demands for Week of Action
May 1: Starting on May Day, organize and join marches and rallies outside of home country consulates or embassies to uplift shared demands. Carry the call, All workers unite to fight fascism, imperialist war, and exploitation!
Follow the May 1 Global Campaign Launch of the of 'Free The Migrants! Onwards to Workers Liberation!’
May 3: Join one of the country-wide Migrant Worker Convenings to study political developments, exchange experiences and lessons in migrant worker campaigns, and unite on plans for collective action.
In Queens, NY: May 3, 9am-2pm: Filipino Migrant Workers Summit
May 3, 3pm-7:30pm: Grassroots Migrants and Refugees, Fight! (GMRF) Forum
May 3, 7:30-8:30pm: Multi-cultural solidarity night
Register to attend: tinyurl.com/may3reg
May 4: Rally at the UN and March to the Philippine Consulate
May 5: NationalDay of Mourning and Rage for the Negros 19
May 7: Migrants and War Peace Forum in NY organized by the International League of People's Struggles NE Region. Join one of the Peace Forums being convened across the U.S. to discuss the impacts of US militarism on our families and communities.
May 8: Solidarity Cultural Night in NE hosted by Migrante, BAYAN, and the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines
Other actions you can take:
Conduct public education sessions to engage more Filipinos on a wide scale, utilizing the Migrante x Gabriela x BAYAN primer on Economic Crisis and War. Generate discussions and ideas on collective actions we can take. bayanusa.org/blog/primer-econ-crisis
Study the International League of People's Struggle ICE Primer: https://www.ilps.us/s/ILPS-US-ICE-PRIMER-V4.pdf