Nurses Rally in D.C. to Demand Congress Abolish ICE and Fund Care

Union Nurses to Rally in Washington, D.C. in Protest Against ICE and U.S. Military Spending

On Monday, April 13, National Nurses United (NNU) will gather in Washington, D.C., calling on Congress to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and repeal the extensive funding it received via the Republican budget bill H.R. 1 last year. This demonstration is a segment of a broader initiative to redirect federal funds from military endeavors to domestic care services.

ICE, which has been operational for only a couple of decades, is criticized for its aggressive tactics under the Trump administration, affecting both citizens and non-citizens. The rally will feature speeches from labor unions, advocacy groups, and political figures, including Senator Ed Markey and former Representative Cori Bush.

“Nurses believe everybody has the freedom to move and the freedom to stay in search of a better life,” stated Jamie Brown, RN, president of NNU. “We demand that this war against immigrant communities ends now. Nurses don’t believe any human is illegal; we care for everyone.”

Event Details

Who: Union nurses, Senator Ed Markey, former Representative Cori Bush, and others

What: Rally to abolish ICE

When: Monday, April 13, 2026 2-3 p.m.

Where: Upper Senate Park, 200 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, D.C.

Union nurses from across the U.S., including members from the New York State Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and other NNU affiliates, will participate. For media inquiries or event footage, contact press@nationalnursesunited.org.

This rally is organized as part of NNU’s Nurses for Democracy 2026 Federal Lobby Day, a platform for nurses to address Congress on critical issues affecting the working class. The event aims to highlight the misuse of taxpayer dollars on international conflicts, while millions of Americans lack essential services such as healthcare, housing, and education.

Nurses will urge lawmakers to cease unauthorized military actions initiated by Trump, halt arms supplies to Israel, defund ICE, impose taxes on billionaires, and lift the U.S. blockade on Cuba. Additionally, they will oppose legislative efforts undermining voting rights, particularly those affecting women and low-income individuals.

As the United States' most trusted profession and largest union of registered nurses, NNU advocates for federal policies prioritizing the welfare of working citizens over corporate profits. Their agenda includes securing Medicare for All and establishing safe staffing standards, contingent on overcoming the perceived authoritarian threats posed by Trump's administration.

“Nurses stand against everything this administration is doing,” said Brown. “Our whole mission is to heal patients and win the social conditions that help people live healthy lives. We are beyond angry that Trump is spending our taxpayer dollars to illegally bomb countries like Iran and Lebanon into obliteration while we are completely abandoning our own people. We could be using that money to fund health care for all, to feed people, to provide housing, and more. We will be in D.C. to demand that our legislators grow a spine.”

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.

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