Nation's Largest Nurses Union Reiterates Call for ICE Abolition

Nation’s Largest Nurses Union Calls for ICE Abolition

National Nurses United (NNU), representing over 225,000 registered nurses, has condemned the recent killing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Biddeford, Maine. The union insists the abolition of ICE is the only solution to what they describe as authoritarian violence targeting communities across the United States. This incident follows the killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas by ICE.

"ICE’s use of deadly force has been met with complete impunity despite mass calls for justice and for ICE’s abolition," stated Puneet Maharaj, executive director of NNU. "They are killing our neighbors in the streets, and no one in Washington seems prepared to hold them accountable. That’s an unacceptable situation, and it must be corrected. We need accountability for these murderers, and we need an end to ICE as an institution."

Matthew MacDonald, a registered nurse at Maine Medical Center, added, “Our communities in Maine have already been subjected to horrors by these agents. It’s past time for ICE to get off our streets and out of our communities, and the people in power in Washington need to make that happen before more people are killed by their federal agents.”

The NNU criticizes the Trump administration for fostering an environment of fear, particularly among communities of color, through what they refer to as “Kavanaugh stops,” a practice that allegedly allows racial profiling. They argue that ICE's enforcement activities are rooted in racism, leading to the use of deadly force. The union also highlights that federal funding cuts to hospitals are being redirected to support ICE, exacerbating the situation.

The union also points to actions taken against dissent, such as charges against protesters in Minnesota and the raiding of non-profit offices in Ohio, as attempts to undermine democratic freedoms. Nurses are committed to standing in solidarity to protect their communities from what they describe as escalating attacks under the current administration.

NNU has consistently advocated for the abolition of ICE, taking various actions to demand an end to these practices that they consider harmful to community safety and wellbeing.

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