Day 12: Organizing in the Shadows: Undocumented & Unafraid.
Undocumented workers build our cities, harvest our food, and clean our schools – all while facing criminalization and wage theft. Yet across the U.S. and beyond, these workers are leading movements for sanctuary, legal rights, and economic liberation. They remind us: no human being is illegal.
“I am undocumented and unafraid.” – Chant of the immigrant youth movement
In fields, kitchens, warehouses, and homes across the globe, undocumented workers power economies while enduring some of the harshest conditions: exploitative wages, unsafe labor environments, constant fear of detention or deportation, and systemic invisibility.
And yet – they are not silent. They are organizing. They are leading.
Global Labor, Local Injustice
In the United States alone, over 7 million undocumented immigrants are part of the workforce. They pick the fruits and vegetables we eat, build the homes we live in, and keep entire industries running. And yet, they remain among the most vulnerable to wage theft, retaliation, and abuse.
Around the world, from Europe’s migrant domestic workers to Gulf countries’ construction laborers under kafala systems, similar patterns emerge: migrants doing essential work without basic rights.
Movements of Courage & Resistance
Despite risks, undocumented workers continue to rise:
- United We Dream, the largest youth-led immigrant network in the U.S., organizes for protection from deportation and paths to citizenship.
- The National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON) supports worker centers where undocumented laborers demand fair wages and treatment.
- Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), formed by primarily undocumented farmworkers in Florida, pioneered the Fair Food Program to combat abuse in agriculture.
- Across Europe, organizations like PICUM (Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants) advocate for labor and human rights regardless of status.
“They tried to bury us. They didn’t know we were seeds.” – Mexican proverb
Stories of Power
- In Los Angeles, undocumented street vendors won the right to legally sell food after years of grassroots activism.
- In New York, undocumented nail salon workers organized to expose toxic labor practices and won health reforms.
- DACA-recipient teachers, nurses, and organizers across the U.S. show that immigration status does not define human dignity or capacity.
Learn More & Take Action
- ORG: United We Dream – Resources for organizing, sanctuary, and immigrant rights.
- Film: The Hand That Feeds (2014) – Story of undocumented NYC restaurant workers who unionized.
- BOOK: Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal by Aviva Chomsky – A deep dive into U.S. immigration history.
- TOOLKIT: Sanctuary Not Deportation – Advocacy tools for congregations and communities.
- UU RESOURCE: UUA Immigration Justice – Faith-based resources for action and solidarity.
Reflect & Act
- Amplify: Share stories from undocumented workers – not just hardship, but resilience.
- Advocate: Support legislation that protects workers regardless of immigration status.
- Accompany: Join or form sanctuary networks to provide safe space and solidarity.
- Acknowledge: If you benefit from the labor of undocumented workers, consider how you can give back through fair practices, donations, or advocacy.
“No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.” – Warsan Shire, Somali-British poet
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