In the heat of this year’s Solidarity Summer, union members from across the country—workers, faith leaders, and community allies—have come together to launch the Justice Journey, a multi-state mobilization against the unjust detention of immigrant workers. Among them were two CSEA members, Mark Kirschner and Liz Anderson, who joined dozens of others from our state to make their voices heard, participating in a journey that stretches from cities central to the Civil Rights Movement all the way to Louisiana’s so-called “detention alley.”

As union members, we know that no matter where you’re from or what you look like, you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. That’s why the Justice Journey aimed to shine a light on the inhumane treatment of immigrant workers who are being held in harsh conditions at ICE detention centers—particularly in Louisiana, where many of the worst abuses have been reported.

These SEIU members stood alongside colleagues from across the nation in calling for Freedom. Family. Justice. Their message was clear: the detention and deportation of immigrant workers is not only an attack on individuals—it’s an attack on the very foundation of our workplaces, communities, and shared values.

While the journey traversed a physical route through the South, it also served as a broader reflection on history and solidarity. The stops along the way—each a site tied to the long legacy of civil rights and workers’ movements—reminded participants and observers alike that our fight for justice is deeply rooted in a larger struggle. Just as past generations fought to end Jim Crow laws, defend voting rights, and expand access to opportunity, today’s SEIU members are taking up the mantle to fight for immigrant justice, racial equity, and the right to live and work free from fear.

In solidarity, we continue this journey—on the road, at the Capitol, and in every union hall across our state.