CWA Members Under Attack From Feds

Throughout history, as governments claw back democratic power from the people, their clash with labor unions becomes inevitable. Here in the U.S., we are no exception. Those clashes have ramped up in recent months as the Trump administration has unleashed masked federal agents on city streets, including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Charlotte, and now Minneapolis. Over the past month, CWA has witnessed several instances of aggression toward our members.

NewsGuild Members Under Attack
On Friday, January 9, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a member of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, TNG-CWA Local 37002, as part of Operation Metro Surge. He is a father, a husband, and a staff member at a Minneapolis non-profit organization. He serves as a steward in our union and is an advocate for all workers. While the circumstances of his arrest are not clear, we know he has been transferred to an ICE detention facility in El Paso, Texas, where he is awaiting action on his petition for habeas corpus. The Guild is not publicly identifying the member out of concern for his family’s safety.

NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, in a statement released last week, wrote, “The detention of a Guild member in Minnesota amidst the chaos created by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is heartbreaking and infuriating. My heart goes out to his family, who are now without their father and husband. As a union, we commit to fight for each other as stewards of our communities—especially in times as dark as these, while U.S. federal agents continue to target working families. Our member has legal support, and we’re checking in on his situation frequently.”

This abduction comes only weeks after federal agents with the FBI raided Washington-Baltimore News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 32035) member Hannah Natanson’s home, seizing her personal belongings, including laptops and phones. The Post Guild condemned the action, stating, “Hannah is a valued member of our union whose work covering the federal workforce has been essential in understanding the impact of the Trump administration’s policies. The extraordinary decision to execute a search warrant at a journalist’s home should shock and dismay everyone who cares about a free and independent press. The Post Guild stands with Hannah and will continue to fight for our members’ safety and independence so that they can continue their critical work.”

Since taking office, President Trump has repeatedly attacked journalists who questioned his actions both verbally and in policy. In September 2025, a federal district court issued a preliminary injunction blocking the DHS—which includes ICE and Customs and Border Protection—from brutalizing journalists, legal observers, and protesters. In a 45-page opinion, Judge Hernán Vera of the Central District Court of California determined that “the record includes detailed and credible declarations from nearly 50 journalists, legal observers, and protesters,” which showed DHS retaliation against people for protesting against and reporting on the violent immigration raids in Southern California.

In October 2025, the Department of Defense imposed sweeping new rules severely restricting reporting on the military and prompting, from both progressive and conservative outlets, a walkout of vetted, career journalists. Last week, the administration doubled down on the journalistic purge by issuing a statement via X (formerly Twitter) that the independent military news outlet Stars and Stripes would no longer be reporting on “woke distractions.”

Families Torn Apart
The latest incursion by federal agents in Minneapolis, Minn., dubbed “Operation Metro Surge,” has resulted in the death of at least one legal observer, Renee Nicole Good, and the wounding of a Venezuelan immigrant. The federal violence has prompted mass protests and has united labor, civil rights, and community organizations in the call for a general strike and boycott.

At least two CWA members have been abducted in Minnesota, and additional IUE-CWA members have been abducted in Kentucky, Michigan, and New York.

In Minnesota, two men, both members of CWA Local 7304 working at a New Flyer electric bus manufacturer in St. Cloud, had come to the U.S. from Laos legally as small children and had worked at New Flyer for over 20 years. They have families and deep roots in Minnesota. While these men had had prior convictions, they had served their time and were productive members of their communities.

CWA Local 7250 President Kieran Knutson, also in Minnesota, has been outspoken about the violence perpetrated against working people. Click here to watch an interview with Knutson and learn more about the situation impacting our members in Minneapolis.

A member of IUE-CWA Local 81301 employed at GE Vernova in Schenectady, N.Y., has been detained by ICE since October 2025, despite having followed the U.S. immigration process and maintaining steady union employment. Coworkers and union representatives consistently describe him as quiet, respectful, and exceptionally hardworking. He frequently worked overtime and weekends, sought education and advancement, and was never disciplined.

To support our union siblings in Minnesota, you can donate to their families here for Gloria Bronola or here for Saysamone Phimpharath. You can also support union families by donating to Working Partnerships.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.