The president of AFL-CIO says she is committed to fighting Trump’s immigration policy

Liz Schuler knows she has a long summer before her. Over the past week, the president of AFL-CIO, which has over 15 million members, has seen the ongoing battle for organised labor with the Trump administration in the brighter spotlight.

David Fuerta, The United Nations of California Service Employees (SEIU) chairman was arrested on June 6th in demonstrations against the Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) attack in Los Angeles’ clothing district. His detention has raised alarms among unions across the country, revealing that organized labor plays a major role in the ongoing narrative surrounding Trump’s immigration crackdown.

There are more protests planned this weekend, but the next few months will be It’s important for the unionand whether they can push back to normal against the president’s policies.

luck Sitting with Schuler we discussed Fuerta’s arrest, the long-term plan for the AFL-CIO, and her thoughts on leading America’s largest union federation under the Trump administration.

“We’re definitely built for this,” she says. “The labor movement has endured through the ups and downs of all kinds of politicians.”

This interview was compiled and condensed.

What do you think about David Fuerta’s arrest?

It is absolutely safe to see him released and reunited with his family. A lot of pressure was generated on the ground. The Labour Movement met in an incredible way in 24 hours, spoke in so many ways, organised rallies in 30 cities across the country.

I know this is more than just one person. This is about thousands of workers who have been detained and are currently targeted by ice in the workplace. And we know the impact on our community and how (we know) we feel that we are working to contribute to our economy and that our community depends on.

So it combined with the demand for “free David” and the demand for an end to ice raids at work. Because it is out of sync with objective ice claims. (They say that) They are looking for criminals, not everyday workers who are just trying to do their job.

What tactics does AFL-Cio use at this moment of growing?

We’re always doing what we’ve done. It is peacefully protesting injustice. We have been doing this since our founding. (We) stand not only for coalition members and 63 federally-wide unions, but also for civil rights organizations and community partners. We show up and speak out for all workers when there is injustice.

It is designed to promote this fear so that when ice enters workplaces or National Guard is sent, people do not organize, speak out, or stand up to their rights. And that’s what the labour movement is designed to really do. It’s happening in Los Angeles and many other places to give people their voices and safety, make sure they have dignity and respect for their work, and to protect them from the harm we see.

In addition to protests, what strategies will you deploy to combat management policies?

I think what’s really unique about the labour movement is that we have a very large toolbox. Organizing at the community level, protest, rallies, action – part of that toolbox, but not the only tool.

We are developing strategies in courts and legislatures. We make pension fund investments that we know can be used strategically as leverage. We are the only institution in the country that has a network of local labor organizations in every state and every city in this country. We have access to workers and workplaces that can be used to educate, train and activate with instant notifications.

We weren’t planning on closing the store and moving forward after David was released. This is just the beginning.

Are there other organisational strategies that are deploying, especially among the bases?

One of the things that hit me was the instability when I was not ready to visit from the ice. And what we’ve been trying to do is educate people on how to respond and know their rights. It’s very simple, but I think it really flies under the radar. This is the idea that you have certain rights but should be protected, and if you are armed with that information, and if you are prepared for the situation, it gives you more confidence in not being afraid.

I developed this Incredible toolkit That we are widely distributed for local union leaders, small towns, or communities. And I think it was really empowering to have at least something to prepare them and know where to go if something like this happened.

How are you tackling the challenges during the Second Trump Administration on a short-term and long-term basis?

For the first 100 days, their design was to defend us. (There was) Every day we had us on our heels there was a new attack. Our short-term strategy was, of course, a legal strategy, mobilized on the ground. (We) showed our voices and acted out, massed the destruction of Doge, and explained why it was important for those who work at the community level.

We’ve launched The division of people working to make a living If Elon Musk could set up his division, we certainly could set up our division and do the translation (doge reduction) for the workers.

We plan for the long term. We are building muscle. During our monthly council breaks, we take action nationwide, and they doubled in size each month. So I’m planning a whole summer action that will start to look at this toolbox again as it escalates. We are concerned about this notion that constitutional protections are trampled upon.

Depending on what happens in the country, the labor movement is agile, we are responsive and we can mobilize actions on any given day. It matches the temperature of the ground and what comes out of this administration.

This story was originally introduced Fortune.com