Minneapolis Labor Federation Mobilizes: Union Rights and the Fight Against ICE
Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, told the America’s Work Force Union Podcast that Minnesota is living through a crisis that is also producing a surge of community organizing. In an interview following the Day of Truth and Freedom on Jan. 23, Glaubitz Gabiou said organizers estimate roughly 90,000 people rallied in Minneapolis despite dangerous subzero temperatures, while clergy members were peacefully arrested at the airport and hundreds joined a morning picket in St. Paul.
The interview came amid renewed outrage after the death of Alex Pretti, a union member, and after earlier violence that organizers say has only expanded constitutional observer and nonviolent action training. Glaubitz Gabiou also described strong support from immigrant-owned small businesses, a “deafening silence” from major employers and ongoing pressure on local law enforcement to de-escalate ICE activity while rebuilding trust more than five years after the murder of George Floyd.
- Mass turnout in extreme cold: Organizers say about 90,000 rallied in Minneapolis on Jan. 23, with additional actions in St. Paul and at the airport.
- Violence is fueling more organizing: Glaubitz Gabiou said observer and nonviolent action trainings tripled after the killings tied to ICE activity.
- Small businesses stepped up, big employers stayed quiet: Nearly 1,000 small businesses signed on, while major employers largely avoided public condemnation.
Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation: A city in crisis and in motion
Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou did not describe Minnesota’s current moment in simple terms.
She called it one of the “hardest, darkest times” in the state’s recent history. Then, in the same breath, she called it one of the most beautiful.
The reason, she said, is what she is witnessing block by block: neighborhoods self-organizing, networks forming and a labor movement leaning into coalition work under pressure.
Glaubitz Gabiou, President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, joined the America’s Workforce Union Podcast after the Day of Truth and Freedom on Jan. 23, a statewide action focused on pushing ICE out of Minnesota. She spoke with host Ed “Flash” Ferenc as the state grappled with another killing tied to enforcement activity and as organizers faced competing narratives from federal officials.
“The resilience of our community is so strong right now. You cannot go into a neighborhood that is not self-organizing itself.” —Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou
Her message was clear: intimidation is not slowing the movement. It is accelerating it.
What was the Day of Truth and Freedom? 90,000 Rally in Minneapolis
Ferenc asked Glaubitz Gabiou about the scale of Jan. 23 organizing, which included unions, community groups and faith leaders.
She said the day began in conditions that could have shut down most public events: minus 23 degrees in Minneapolis.
Despite the cold, she said, hundreds joined a morning picket outside a clinic in St. Paul. Later, about 100 clergy members were peacefully arrested at the airport.
Organizers were concerned the weather would suppress turnout for a 2 p.m. rally. Instead, she said, the crowd surged.
Media estimates placed the rally at more than 50,000. Glaubitz Gabiou said organizers believe it was significantly larger.
“Media is reporting it at 50,000, but … it is definitely closer to a hundred thousand. So we’re saying 90,000.” —Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou
She said the crowd later marched into the Target Center, which organizers secured within 48 hours. The logistics, she said, were complicated by winter gear and security screening.
Still, the event became a major organizing moment, amplified by livestreams that she said drew hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Solidarity after George Floyd: Coalition work under pressure
Glaubitz Gabiou said Minnesota’s organizing infrastructure did not appear overnight.
She pointed to the murder of George Floyd, when local organizations were forced into rapid response under national scrutiny. She said that period built relationships that are now being tested again.
The coalition is not uniform, she said, but it is committed to staying together.
“We don’t all agree on everything, but we know, like, they want us divided. So we are staying together.” —Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou
Her framing echoed a labor strategy that prioritizes unity across differences when fundamental rights are at stake.
Following the death of Alex Pretti: A union family responds
Glaubitz Gabiou said she was at home when the news of Alex Pretti’s death broke.
Organizers, she said, had planned to “take a beat” after the intense day of action. But she emphasized that ICE activity continued even as rallies unfolded.
She said it quickly became clear that Pretti was a union member.
According to Glaubitz Gabiou, Pretti was a VA nurse and a member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). She said the labor community moved quickly to support the union family and the VA community.
She described a nationwide vigil with clergy, supported by AFGE and the national AFL-CIO, as a moment of remembrance.
Her argument was direct: without ICE activity, Pretti would still be alive.
Surge in Nonviolent Action and Constitutional Observer Trainings
Ferenc asked whether these deaths were intimidating observers and organizers.
Glaubitz Gabiou said organizers expected a “cooling effect” after the killing of Renee Good. Instead, she said, participation surged.
“Our nonviolent action trainings, our observer trainings exploded. We had three times as many people requesting them.” —Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou
She said training sessions for nonviolent direct action and constitutional observers are filling up as quickly as organizers can schedule them.
The takeaway, she said, is that communities are choosing preparation over retreat.
Small businesses sign on, big corporations stay silent
Ferenc asked about the role of employers, noting reports that many CEOs are privately uneasy but publicly quiet.
Glaubitz Gabiou said immigrant-owned small businesses stepped forward in large numbers.
Nearly 1,000 small businesses signed on to support the Day of Truth and Freedom, despite economic risk, she added.
Organizers urged people not to shop that day, she said, a decision that can hit small businesses hard. She said community networks are now pushing customers back toward those businesses to help them recover.
But large employers have largely avoided public engagement.
“When it comes to the large employer class in our community, it has been a deafening silence.” —Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou
She argued that even if ICE left, the economic disruption would last for years, and major employers would be part of any recovery.
She also criticized calls to “negotiate” with federal officials, saying the community will not trade away core protections.
“We’re not going to do that,” she said.
Workplace Safety: Can ICE Enter Private Employer Property?
Ferenc asked about the situation with major employers in the aftermath.
Glaubitz Gabiou said labor has worked with some employers to establish that ICE cannot be on workplace property. However, she said some are not following that approach.
She cited an incident at a Richfield Target where she said two U.S. citizens, including a teenager, were “wrestled to the ground” near the entry.
She said she does not understand why major employers are not speaking out.
Rebuilding trust, demanding de-escalation
Ferenc asked about law enforcement dynamics, noting public statements critical of ICE.
Glaubitz Gabiou said Minnesota is still rebuilding trust with police after George Floyd and other killings of Black Minnesotans.
She said law enforcement agencies are strained by the current chaos, and police officers of color have reported being racially profiled by ICE.
She described police as “potential allies,” but said labor is demanding more. Organizers want police to de-escalate ICE activity and protect observers.
“We’re working on that every day,” she said.
Union Rights nationwide: A call for preparation and solidarity
Ferenc asked whether more unions nationally are speaking out.
Glaubitz Gabiou said the answer is yes, and she urged unions outside Minnesota to prepare now.
“Get your constitutional observers trained now. Get your nonviolent protest action leaders and your union peacekeepers ready now.” —Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou
Her message was not framed as a Minnesota-only fight. It was a warning and a blueprint to protect members from future senseless violence.
Stand With Minnesota Labor
The fight for workplace safety and community rights is just beginning. Don’t let the “deafening silence” of major corporations be the final word.
