Photos available here (to be continuously updated)
NEW YORK, NY — Today, the New York Immigration Coalition, Hands Off NYC, the Arc of Justice, Strong Economy for All, and partners gathered for the “Good Trouble Lives On” march and rally. The event honored the legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis and reaffirmed a shared commitment to defending civil rights, voting rights, and immigrant communities in the face of escalating federal attacks.
The mobilization comes at a time when the Trump administration and allies are continuing to coordinate assaults on immigrant communities and weaponize the Department of Justice to undermine the rights of Black voters and dismantle decades of hard-fought progress toward racial justice. The Supreme Court’s decision to weaken the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which protected against racially discriminatory voting maps, signals a massive setback in the movement for civil rights that Congressman Lewis dedicated his life to advancing.
Advocates rallied at Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, marched past 26 Federal Plaza, and ended with a musical celebration. Leaders emphasized that the fight for immigration justice and the fight for voting rights are interconnected and rooted in the belief that every person deserves dignity, equal protection under the law, and a voice in shaping the future of their communities.
“Congressman John Lewis showed us that justice is never given-- it is fought for and won,” said Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition. “His legacy calls on us now more than ever, as black voters and immigrant communities are facing coordinated, deliberate attacks on their fundamental rights. In the spirit of “good trouble", we will not retreat. We will defend our democracy, protect the sacred right to vote, safeguard our civil liberties, and fight for a New York where every person lives with dignity and belongs. This is our fight, and as Congressman Lewis taught us, we will keep marching until freedom belongs to us all. The bridge he crossed is now ours to finish-- and we will cross it together. ”
“Six months ago, Keith Porter, Renee Good, and our AFGE brother Alex Pretti were murdered by ICE and CBP agents. AFGE 3911 came together with our union healthcare comrades, immigration allies, and the people of NYC to mourn every single death caused by xenophobic state violence and to demand an end to these extra-judicial killings. Since then, ICE has continued their rampage in our communities, most recently seen with the needless murders of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Guerrero. We don’t have to live like this. These agents do not have the right to be judge, jury, and executioner. And we will continue marching and grieving and fighting until ICE is removed from our workplaces, our streets, and our lives,” said Suzy Englot, President, AFGE Local 3911.
“CUFFH is proud to stand in solidarity with NYIC, Hands Off NYC, and coalition partners to commemorate the late Rep. John Lewis and to honor the legacy of Good Trouble. Our organizing projects will always center the lived experiences of our Black and Latino members, honoring their fights for voting rights, their protection from immigration enforcement, and their organizing against incarceration and injustice. Our organization centers around housing justice, but we also understand that these issues are all deeply interconnected, and that in order for our work to be successful in moving us towards liberation, we’re going to have to get into some good trouble along the way,” said Rob Solano, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH).
"Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is more than a policy; it is a lifeline for the 17 countries that have that status. Every family deserves the security to work and live without fear. We stand with immigrant communities because protecting TPS means protecting our neighbors, our families, our youth, our workers, and our future,” said Darnell Benoit, Executive Director, Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project.
"The Trump Regime is unleashing masked agents to terrorize immigrant communities, attacking voting to sow doubt, and redrawing maps in an attempt to disenfranchise Black voters. They want us to feel scared, isolated, and powerless. We won't accept this. Today, we take the streets, honoring the legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis. What we are facing today is not new; it is a continuation of our interconnected struggles, and fighting back will take all of us standing up with courage, solidarity, and exactly what John Lewis called for — making good trouble,” said Hannah Stauss, Co-Founder, Hands Off NYC.
“I survived 150 days in ICE detention because people refused to look away. This movement reminds us that justice doesn’t happen because we hope for it—it happens because ordinary people choose to stand up for one another. My motto is, ‘Turn your pain into passion, and make it your purpose.’ That’s exactly what this moment calls us to do. That’s the kind of good trouble our country needs,” said Allan Michael Dabrio Marrero, Impacted individual detained by ICE.
"At Jahajee, we know that the fight for Black voting rights and the fight to protect immigrant communities are not separate struggles, they are the same struggle. As an organization rooted in the leadership of Indo-Caribbean women and gender-expansive people, we understand that our safety and our liberation are bound up with the safety and liberation of every community under attack. Survivors of gender-based violence, immigrants, and Black voters are too often forced to fight for their dignity within systems that were never built to protect them. We march today because our communities deserve more than survival, we deserve to belong, to be heard, and to live free from violence and fear. Congressman Lewis showed us that good trouble is how change gets made, and we are committed to carrying that legacy forward,” said Latchmi Devi Gopal, Organizational Strategy & Implementation Lead, Jahajee.
“Trump and his minions want to scare us, divide us, and keep us silent because of where we’re from, who we love, the color of our skin, our gender, and so much more — but we won’t let them. Millions of us are united together against fascism, and the NYCLU is fighting in the courts, the legislature, and the streets to protect voters, immigrants, dissenters, and all New Yorkers. We’ll hold the line and make good trouble every day. Our democracy depends on it,” said Amreeta Mathai, Director of Strategy and Program, New York Civil Liberties Union.