For many years, farmworker groups have marched to the Oregon State House to commemorate the fight for workers rights on May Day. But for hundreds of people who took to the streets in Salem on Thursday, the focus this year was different.

Politicians, union groups, immigration rights and farmworker advocates gathered at the state Capitol to rally against what they called the Trump administration’s attacks on immigrants and farmworkers.

“We are the farmworkers, the construction workers, the custodians, the restaurant workers, and the factory workers. All of us who, day in and day out, go to work for a better future, regardless of where we come from,” said Araceli Cortes in Spanish, a farmworker who spoke to the crowd. “As immigrants, we are the backbone of this country. Without our work, many industries would be left empty.”

People at the march also displayed signs in opposition to billionaire Elon Musk’s involvement with the federal government, and the Trump administration’s defiance against federal courts.

The event, organized by Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, or PCUN, Oregon’s largest farmworker advocacy group, comes as the U.S. Department of Agriculture has joined in on efforts to enforce the Trump administration’s immigration policy. In a recent release, that federal agency directed state agencies to tighten rules around the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to prevent “illegal aliens” from being eligible for the program.

“There’s been many attacks on our immigrant community,” said Reyna Lopez, the executive director of PCUN. “And for us it was really important that we tell our message at this event by saying immigrant Oregonians are home, they are what makes the state beautiful and prosperous. They’re our friends, our neighbors, they’re farmworkers they’re grocery workers, they’re people that make the state work.”

This day, Lopez said, has been organized in Salem for many years, and has become a tradition for the farmworker movement and immigrant rights activists.

PCUN is one of the plaintiffs in a recent lawsuit filed in a federal court in Oregon that aims to block immigration enforcement officials from carrying out operations in churches, schools or hospitals.

“That was because a couple of months ago when we started to organize the May Day event we were hearing from people saying I don’t want to go, I’m scared,” Lopez said. “And we said we have to sign on to this lawsuit, there’s no way we can stay silent. And we feel it adds an additional layer of protection to May Day.”

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek spoke to the crowd briefly, she said she stands by immigrant Oregonians.

“Oregon will not be bullied into violating our principles and our law,” Kotek said to a cheering crowd. “Oregon will continue to honor the long history of being a sanctuary state.”

Thousands of other demonstrators took to the stress across the nation, including in Portland, Eugene and Seattle.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/05/01/farmworker-immigrant-rights-protest-may-day-salem-pcun/