More than 150 Maine businesses, mostly in the Portland area, have closed their doors Friday as part of a nationwide economic protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to local organizers.
Keeli Parker of South Portland works in retail. She spoke at a press conference in Portland on Friday.
"Today, the working class of Portland has sent a clear message to those in power: Your power is derived from our labor, and we are not afraid to withhold our labor for the safety of our neighbors," Parker said.
Activists in Minnesota called for a national economic shutdown on Friday after ICE agents killed two American citizens there this month.
Many of the businesses closed today are in the retail and service industries.
Bookstore owner Josh Christie told Maine Calling the strike is about sending a message.
"Businesses and workers can come together and make a really noticeable impact," he said. "People are going to notice that this many businesses in Maine are closed today."
The strike comes days after ICE arrested over 200 people in Maine during a multiday operation concentrated in the Lewiston and Portland areas.
Organizers say immigrant workers are crucial to Maine's hospitality and retail industries, and are calling on the state's congressional delegation not to support continued funding for ICE.
