Hundreds of protesters gathered in Milwaukee and Madison on Thursday to call out President Donald Trump’s policies and to voice support for immigrants and workers’ rights. In Madison, high school students organized a walkout to the state Capitol. A crowd of about 300 people rallied inside the building, chanting, “Sí, se puede.” Some held a banner that read “Aquí estamos, aquí estaremos,” or “Here we are, here we will be.” Hundreds of protesters marched over two miles in pouring rain in Milwaukee during a rally in honor of May Day, or International Workers Day.

The event was organized by Voces De La Frontera, an immigrant rights group. Stay informed on the latest news Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter. Email Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“We stand together to resist the mass layoffs of federal employees, the gutting of social programs like public education and health care, policies of mass deportation and the assault on our constitutional rights for due process, free speech and the freedom to protest,” Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, told the crowd. Christine Neumann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de la Frontera, speaks during a rally in Milwaukee on May 1, 2025. Evan Casey/WPR Before protesters marched to Zeidler Union Square, Joseph Jackson, a Milwaukee pastor and member of Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied For Hope, led a prayer for those gathered.

“We pray today for and with immigrants and refugees in this country, both documented and undocumented,” Jackson said. “All people deserve due process. All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter of their culture, nationality, gender or religious belief.” Maria, who didn’t share her last name for the story, said she came to the United States as an immigrant when she was 4 years old.

“I’ve seen so much abuse at the federal level, at the state level, the police has now turned on us in many states, and that’s not OK,” said Maria, who attended the Milwaukee protest. “We are part of the community, and we need to be treated with respect like we treat everyone else.” Maria, who lives in Milwaukee, said she’s a U.S. citizen now and has lived in the country for over 40 years. She has family from Mexico and Guatemala.

“I have friends, I have family and myself [am] concerned, just because our rights are being trampled on,” she said. “We are people. We are humans … and we’re treated less than that.

And that’s not only for [the] Latino community, that’s for all the immigrant community.” Lisa Williams, the founder of the social activist group PERSISTers Wisconsin, took the day off work to be at the event in Milwaukee. “I’m out here to be in solidarity with people who are feeling really scared about what’s happening in this country, especially in relation to immigrants,” Williams said. A man stands on a car to watch a protest in Milwaukee on May 1, 2025.

Evan Casey/WPR Arrest of judge is point of focus for Milwaukee protesters Milwaukee’s protest came nearly a week after Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan was charged with obstruction and with concealing an individual after she allegedly tried to help a man avoid arrest by immigration agents. On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Dugan. “We are here to demand that Milwaukee County Court Judge Hannah Dugan, who has been targeted for upholding the Constitution, that the charges against her be dropped,” Neumann-Ortiz said during Milwaukee’s rally.

One sign at Milwaukee’s protest read, “Free Judge Dugan, I.C.E out of our courts.” Protesters hold signs during the May Day rally in Milwaukee. Evan Casey/WPR Several city and county officials attended Milwaukee’s protest, including Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez. “Last year it was 68 degrees and sunny, and there was about less than half of this,” Martinez said about the number of people who attended Thursday’s rally.

“Right now, everybody understands the urgency of what’s going on, and collective power is where we need to stand.” Martinez called Dugan’s arrest “a publicity stunt.” Milwaukee County officials recently worked to create a plan for handling agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, at the courthouse. May Day rallies were held across the nation Thursday. High school students gather in Wisconsin’s state Capitol on May 1, 2025.

Anna Marie Yanny/WPR Students make their voices heard inside the Capitol At Madison’s event, Leland Pan said students from at least four high schools came together for the rally. Pan is a school social worker at Madison’s La Follette High School and serves on the Madison Teachers Inc. board of directors. “I think our students recognize the importance of May Day as a day that holds a lot of importance for both workers rights and for immigrant rights,” Pan said.

“And many of our students come from immigrant families. Many of our students come from working class families.” Student speakers addressed the crowd at the Capitol in both Spanish and English. “There are crackdowns on our livelihoods, our communities, our families,” said a speaker who identified himself as a University of Wisconsin-Madison student whose family is from Nicaragua.

“These are echoes of the past.