This milestone, evidence of a growing collective aspiration for an abolitionist, socialist future, should have translated into decisive planning at the state level. As a dues-paying member and invited panelist for Danbury Unites for Immigrants attending virtually, I left the meeting appreciating the earnest effort while recognizing some missed opportunities. What follows is offered in a spirit of comradely critique, with the aim of strengthening our shared work.

Civilization rises and falls—sometimes in meer moments. Pompeii, Nagasaki, the Sack of Rome, Atlantis… Sometimes I think about how short life could have been and whether that’s better or worse than dying when you’re older. I think about people that have survived horrors—Holocaust survivors who lived through death camps but died in a car accident. My own grandmother who immigrated to the United States from Iran completely by herself, lived with my grandfather who was an abusive drunk (although loved her), lived through a global pandemic, and then, DURING the pandemic, got cancer, and passed away just before she could see me get married. Throughout this whole time, friends of mine were having children. Babies were born, people died, and life carried on. But times were scary. We didn’t know what was coming next. So the question remains: does life actually find a way? Is it responsible to have children and carry on a legacy when you know the dangers around every corner? 

I would like to begin this section by briefly channeling the collective spirit of our Fascist friends. Don’t be alarmed […]

Polling from mid-2025 showed 62% of Democratic voters felt a change in party leadership was needed. These voters are shown to feel that current leaders are not doing enough to fight against Trump’s creeping (if not galloping) authoritarianism. This divide is likely to expand in the face of an underwhelming response to the occupation of Minneapolis and the clearly recorded execution of two of the city’s citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

This past Saturday, the Connecticut Democratic Socialists of America (CT DSA) held an emergency meeting to organize around abolishing United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). There’s been a lot of news about ICE lately, as many of the other recent articles on the Nutmeg Socialist cover.

After Renée Good’s murder on January 6, Maine went on high alert. Customs and Border Patrol and ICE were already bragging that they had detained 1,000 people in Maine in 2025. We expected to be targeted next as Trump raged against our Somali community concentrated in Lewiston and Portland. Information began to filter in through immigrant families and organizers and eventually through some of our friends in high places. By January 12, we were relatively certain we were next and groups all over the state moved into action. 

We did not start from a standstill. In previous months, the Maine Immigrants Rights Coalition had established an ICE hotline, Presenté Maine had trained hundreds of verifiers (volunteers who document and report ICE activity), the People’s Coalition for Safety and Justice had set up the Maine Solidarity Fund — to date raising more than $250,000 — teachers in Portland had pushed school administrators to train staff in their Fourth Amendment rights, led by Prevention Action Change, the Community Organizing Alliance in Lewiston had strengthened its mutual aid and organizing infrastructure in the wake of a protest in defense of the Somali community in December, the Maine Council of Churches had spread the word in their congregations, Multifaith Justice Maine had organized clergy to take direct action, Maine AFL-CIO had organized transportation for vulnerable workers, Indivisible chapters had led protests and helped monitor ICE activity, the Maine Coalition for Peace and Human Rights — a central force in the Gaza solidarity movement — had turned out its network and connected the fight to divest state pension funds from apartheid to divesting from companies that profit from ICE, and Maine Democratic Socialists of America had worked alongside the Party for Socialism and Liberation to host anti-ICE rallies in Portland.

No ICE for Maine

In short, people all over the state from all walks of life responded. An organization called No ICE for Maine played a useful role communicating between organizations and opening paths for common work. 

A collective of organizers consisting of individuals from unions, DSA, direct action activists, Presenté Maine, and some new folks came together last spring in No ICE for Maine. Structured very loosely without affiliations from larger groups, No ICE demanded that the Cumberland County Commissioners in Portland sever their contract with ICE, which had turned the county jail into the largest immigrant detention facility in Maine. After thousands turned out for May Day protests across the state, this campaign became one focus of targeted organizing between May and December of last year, bringing hundreds of people together to protest and speak at public comment, demanding an end to county collaboration with ICE. No ICE for Maine gathered thousands of signatures, built an email and Instagram following, crafted legal and legislative arguments, lobbied commissioners, and drew enough media attention to command a critical measure of organizing capacity by the new year. 

Starting on the day of Good’s murder, No ICE for Maine held a series of emergency discussions about tactics. After several sharp but productive debates, No ICE for Maine decided on January 9 to put out a call to people across the state to join an organizing Zoom on January 15. We had initially conceived of the call as more of an organizing and strategy session, but within hours of publicizing the invitation on January 12, some 250 people had signed up. The next day we had 500 RSVPs, and by the morning of the call, some 1,600 people from 157 towns were registered. That call did not create Maine’s massive response, but it did help give shape to it. 

The strategic goal set out on the call was simple: defeat “Operation Catch of the Day,” as ICE named its invasion. Mainers pursued three principal tactics to confront the invasion:

1. We go where they go. The Maine ICE hotline lit up and hundreds of verifiers put their training to good use. Thousands more joined rapid response networks run on Signal. Workers in education, health, manufacturing, construction, retail, and entertainment learned their Fourth Amendment rights. Hundreds of parents and community members organized school watches. We found ICE’s hotels and the Maine Road Salt band formed to serenade them at night. 
2. Mass, nonviolent, direct action. Large rallies and marches were planned, clergy organized sit-ins at Senator Collins’s office, and plans were conceived for mass civil disobedience, training to put our bodies on the line in an organized and disciplined way. 
3. Mutual aid. Thousands of immigrant workers made the courageous decision to shelter in place to defend their families. Kids didn’t go to school. Breadwinners lost wages. The Maine Solidarity Fund, Food for All, Project Relief, and many others helped provide the material support necessary to make this stay-at-home action possible.

United Front

This is the kind of united front approach we must learn to apply in the fight against ICE. None of us is strong enough on our own. The united front is not a preference, it is a necessity. We learn how to draw different forces closer together, how to work with — and against — politicians, how to develop demands while concluding honest compromises, how to create and earn trust. These are the intangibles that can only come with practice, within the united front strategic framework. 

ICE announced that its reign of terror would begin on Martin Luther King Day, January 19. However, Mother Nature stepped in to give us another day to prepare by blanketing the state with 18 inches of snow. That time was critical as it gave us an extra day to put rapid response networks in place. 

On January 20, all hell broke loose. Hundreds of ICE agents swarmed between Portland and Biddeford, 17 miles away. They invaded neighborhoods, dragged workers off roofing jobs, forced schools into lockdown, and blatantly racially profiled drivers, pulling over Black and Brown people at will. They detained custodians, construction and restaurant workers, school employees, and pastors. They even abducted a Cumberland County Jail guard and the father of a premature newborn when he went to check on his other kids at home.

Agents raced through the streets, breaking speed limits and driving recklessly. They threatened and mocked verifiers and rapid responders. They followed activists home and called them terrorists. They did not commit as much violence as in Minneapolis, but the stage was set and they were clearly itching to do so. 

Between January 20 and 24, ICE claimed to have kidnapped 206 people. The obviously random and racist dragnet led all of Maine’s highest elected leaders to denounce their actions. The governor called them provocateurs, the attorney general opened an ICE abuse tip line, the Cumberland County Sheriff called them “bush league,” and the mayors of Lewiston and Portland directed their police not to cooperate — although Portland police did arrest peaceful protesters.

In the middle of that week, No ICE for Maine organizers made two decisions. First, we would organize a mass meeting of thousands, set for February 7, to unveil plans for major escalations if ICE did not retreat by then. We had no expectation that they would, so this was a mechanism to focus the resistance on mass, nonviolent tactics to reduce the risk that ICE would kill one of us and to find a level to impede their operation.

Second, we helped convene an organizing call with labor, clergy, immigrant-led organizations, and progressive community groups on January 26. This call brought together around 30 people in key places. We expected ICE would expand its operations from the Portland area, so this communication with statewide organizations sought to share what we were learning in the Portland area and to talk through the February 7 plan. 

No Mood to Back Down

At the end of week one, ICE had succeeded in inflicting real damage and sowing terror among our immigrant neighbors — thousands of workers stayed home and attendance dropped dramatically in many schools — but it had not broken their resolve. And the broader movement, although fearful that ICE would escalate its violence, was standing squarely on its two feet and was in no mood to back down.

In fact, Alex Pretti’s murder on January 24 set the stage for an expansion of the movement, as restaurant and entertainment workers and small businesses announced plans for a January 30 strike in solidarity with Minneapolis and high school students planned to walk out or boycott classes. If the tactics of “We go where they go” and “Mutual aid” were most important during weeks one and two, “Mass, nonviolent direct action” a la Martin Luther King were coming into focus for week three.

ICE Stands Down

But then something remarkable took place. Starting on January 26, rapid responders and verifiers noticed a significant reduction in ICE activity. I believe some combination of the’ heroism in Minneapolis, our own determination to defend Maine, and the potential collapse of Senator Collins’s reelection chances — with the rise of left-wing firebrand Graham Platner’s campaign — led the Trump administration to blink. 

Before dawn on January 29, Collins announced that ICE’s “enhanced enforcement” operation was ending. While no one believes her as far as they can throw her, ICE did retreat.

Nonetheless, January 30 was the single largest day of united action to date. The participants from the statewide organizers’ meeting on January 26 put together a morning press conference in which politicians, clergy, unions, organizers, immigrant-led organizations, and community groups all pledged mutual support for taking action. Thousands of students walked out or boycotted classes in more than a dozen towns. Twenty-five hundred people marched in Portland and 175 businesses shut down for the day in solidarity. 

Now we’re dealing with the aftermath. We demand the return of each and every one of our neighbors and we are calling on the governor to enact an eviction moratorium and provide funding for lost wages and back rent. Meanwhile, educators are helping students transition back to school, the Maine Solidarity Fund is raising money to cover bail and legal costs, the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project has staffed up and is representing many of those detained, and School Watch volunteers are moving into mutual aid and plans for the next round. 

ICE and CBP are not gone. We expect them to plan kidnapping operations, but most likely in ways that make it harder for us to respond. They are cowards, so they will work at night and in more rural areas. They will hunt our friends. And we must prepare that they will come back in force if Trump wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. But we are better organized, more determined, and wiser. A keen awareness of the damage the immigrant community has suffered tempers any mood of confidence and celebration.

On Saturday, February 7, No ICE for Maine pivoted. What was going to be a mass meeting of thousands to announce escalation plans against ICE turned into a skill share and training day for 400 organizers. That day was marked by a determination to drive ICE out of Maine for good. In addition to the pressure of rapid response and mutual aid—ICE and CBP detained 17 farmworkers and a Brunswick High graduate as this article was written—No ICE for Maine and the larger cooperating forces have to think through our strategic focus as well as our internal and inter-organizational structures in the coming weeks. Although it is very difficult to do so, coming to working agreements around these medium and long-term questions cannot be postponed indefinitely. 

ICE must be abolished. At the same time, no one wants to go back to the status quo. As one union organizer put it, “ICE out! Healthcare and housing in!” Intentionally strengthening our bonds and our mutual solidarity will take persistence, organizations will have to develop trust, and we will make — and have made — our fair share of mistakes. But Maine is in the fight and we’re not backing down.

***

This article originally appeared in The Call, and is reprinted here with permission of the author and publication.

The post Maine Forces ICE to Retreat appeared first on Pine & Roses.

Mandatory profit-sharing policies can give employees some of the money they make for their employers.

The post How Some Countries Give Workers a Slice of Corporate Wealth appeared first on Democratic Left.

Enjoy your February National Political Committee (NPC) newsletter! Our NPC is an elected 27-person body (including both YDSA Co-Chairs) which functions as the board of directors of DSA. This month, sign up for know your rights training, help melt ICE, join political education classes, and more!

And to make sure you get our newsletters in your inbox, sign up here! Each one features action alerts, upcoming events, political education, and more.

• From the National Political Committee — DSA’s Growth Means Hope in Dark Times
• Help Elect Socialist Candidates! Phonebanks Starting Sunday 2/22
• Melt ICE Off Our Streets — Give Today!
• Sign Up for Sunday 2/22 Know Your Rights Training
• Mutual Aid Working Group Elections — Nominations Until Saturday 2/14
• Our Religious Socialism Work Group is Growing! Events Sunday 2/15, Thursday 2/19, and Thursday 2/26
• En Español: Housing Justice Commission Weekly Language Exchange Tuesday 2/17
• Political Education Trainings Thursday 2/19 and Thursday 3/12 — Sign Up Today!
• AfroSoc is BACK in Action! BIPOC Members, Join Our February Meeting Sunday 2/22
• Help Support DSA — Join Growth and Development Committee Phonebanks Starting Sunday 2/22
• Do You Have Fundraising Experience? Apply for DSA’s National Fundraising Committee!
• DSA is Hiring! Application Deadlines Starting Sunday 2/15
• Help Build Strong Chapters! Apply for the Locals First Implementation Committee
• DSA Fund is Hiring a Program Lead!

From the National Political Committee — DSA’s Growth Means Hope in Dark Times

Dear Comrades,

“The issue is Socialism vs. Capitalism. I am for Socialism because I am for humanity. We have been cursed with the reign of gold long enough. Money constitutes no proper basis of civilization. The time has come to regenerate society — we are on the eve of a universal change.” — Eugene V. Debs, 1897

Great news: DSA is now over 100,000 members strong! This milestone is many years in the making, and was borne out of the tireless work of countless members to bring socialism from the margins to the mainstream since DSA formed in 1982. We encourage you to take a moment and reflect on the ways that your work has helped build us into the largest socialist organization in the USA since Eugene V. Debs’s time over a century ago, when the Socialist Party in the US at its height in 1912 counted 118,000 dues-paying members.

The capitalist class suppressed that era of burgeoning socialism with decades of Red Scare repression and propaganda — but not completely. Even past the worst years of McCarthyism and the Cold War, and then through the supposed “end of history” era of neoliberalism, many brave socialist organizers kept the flame alive throughout the 20th century. Socialists have always been organizing to build the power of labor unions and expand rights for all workers, and helped form the backbone of movements for racial justice, women’s liberation, queer liberation, against war and militarism, and for environmental protection in the United States.

Wherever people were organizing for a better, more democratic, and more just future for all working people, socialists like us were holding fast. And now, generations later, democratic socialism is going mainstream.

So many people are joining DSA today because we are a fully member-led and member-funded mass organization. Over 220 local chapters are growing because we represent a real alternative to the corporate oligarchy of our political system. We’re responding powerfully to the current political situation — channeling rage and fear over the Trump administration’s violent policies which scapegoat immigrants, trans folks, and marginalized people while making everyday life more precarious for the broader working class; and also organizing for democratic socialist victories, like our member Zohran Mamdani’s election to mayor of the wealthiest city in the world.

Zohran’s election in New York City brought a surge of new members to DSA because he represents reasons for active hope through the darkness of our time, showing how far our movement has come through the past decade. He is a product of independent grassroots organizing where strong DSA chapters, alongside labor unions and working class community organizations, work more and more like a party of our own. DSA members are winning life-changing policies for millions of people across the United States, expanding affordability and economic security for all, and showing how socialism is what can beat fascism. 

All of this has effects everywhere, not just in NYC. Some of our fastest-growing chapters are in places you might not expect, like Corpus Christi, Birmingham, Southern Idaho, Middle Georgia, and Eastern Kentucky. Folks are fed up across the country and finding ways to organize for socialism and against fascism wherever they live. Whether you were inspired by high-profile campaigns like Zohran’s or were organized at the grassroots level at local actions like union picket lines or Abolish ICE rallies, being part of a democratically run mass movement like DSA means we take back a lot of the power that capitalism has taken from us.

The weight of over a century of struggle is on our shoulders, but we stand on the shoulders of giants. Together, we can and will rise to this task. Take a moment to embrace this history, and then remember what Debs would certainly call us to do: keep going. We can never take popularity for granted. Now is not the time to rest. It’s the time to keep organizing to turn momentum into even bigger growth and more powerful wins against the dictatorship of capital that we’re all living under, and toward true democracy for all of us. Ask yourself what steps you can take today to build the socialist future of tomorrow – and keep asking others to join in! 99,999 of your comrades (and counting!) are right there with you to do the same.

¡La Lucha Sigue, Hasta La Victoria!

Megan Romer and Ashik Siddique
DSA National Co-Chairs

Help Elect Socialist Candidates! Phonebanks Starting Sunday 2/22

Are you ready to help raise money for our socialist candidates across the country? Join DSA’s National Electoral Commission to call other DSA members to help raise money for our socialist campaigns. Phonebanks start Sunday 2/22, and will be on Sundays 5pm ET/4pm CT/3pm MT/2pm PT.

Right now, we have five DSA member candidates with our national endorsement on our slate. Making calls is easy! Talk to members like you  to raise money for:

• Adam Bojak, Buffalo DSA, New York’s State Assembly
• Tammy Carpenter, Portland DSA, Oregon’s State House of Representatives
• Bobby Nichols, Phoenix DSA, City Council in Tempe, Arizona
• Andrew Hariston, Austin DSA, Travis County Justice of the Peace
• Robert LeVertis Bell, Louisville DSA, Kentucky State Legislature

Melt ICE Off Our Streets — Give Today!

DSA members are leading the fight against the deportation regime in cities and towns across the country. So far, DSA members have raised over $25,000 to build our chapters’ responses to ICE terror. This money goes where it’s most needed, including multilingual know-your-rights literature, whistles, hand warmers, trainings, and more for the communities we defend. Even $25 dollars can help our chapters meet the moment and lead the movement to victory over fascism. Give today!

Sign Up for Sunday 2/22 Know Your Rights Training

Join the Trump Admin Response Committee on 2/22 at 2pm ET/1pm CT/12pm MT/11am PT for a Know Your Rights Training. Come hear from legal experts from the NYC-DSA Immigrant Justice Working Group about how to keep yourself and your neighbors safe from ICE.

Mutual Aid Working Group Elections — Nominations Until Saturday 2/14

Mutual Aid Working Group (MAWG) Steering Committee 2026 elections are open now, with nominations open until Saturday 2/14. Voting will be open for all MAWG members Sunday 2/15-Sunday 2/21.

The Steering Committee (SC) consists of 7-9 members including two co-chairs. SC members are expected to run trainings and virtual events, host quarterly all-member meetings, and mentor chapters. If you are interested or have questions, reach out to mutualaid@dsacommittees.org.

Our Religious Socialism Work Group is Growing! Events Sunday 2/15, Thursday 2/19, and Thursday 2/26

Our DSA Religion and Socialism Working Group brings together DSA members of all faiths to support each other, bring socialist ideas to our own faith communities, and work to combat white Christian nationalism. Join our monthly meetup Thursday 2/19 at 8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT/6:30pm MT/5:30pm PT to find out more.

Two of our sub-groups are having events this month as well! The Democratic Socialist Episcopal Association is re-launching. People of all faith backgrounds are welcome to join us in our organizing, mutual aid, and common worship. We conduct all of our work and services via our Discord server here. Join us for our weekly virtual Compline prayer services every Sunday. The next one will be Sunday 2/15. Standing regular meetings will begin Wednesday, 2/18 and be held every other week.

And help build the DSA Buddhist Circle! Buddhists of all traditions, Dharma practitioners, and Mindfulness practitioners are invited to our planning and visioning meeting Thursday 2/26 at 7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT. Feel free to review these notes before the meeting.

En Español: Housing Justice Commission Weekly Language Exchange Tuesday 2/17

Practica tu español con la Comisión para Justicia de Vivienda (CJV)!

Aprendiste español en el colegio o en el trabajo y quieres mejorar? Unete los martes a las 17:00 PST / 19:00 MEX/CST / 20:00 COL/EST / 22:00 / ARG para practicar con la CJV. Te pondremos en un cuarto de Zoom con otra persona para que practiquen juntos. Si quieres también tenemos guiones si necesitas ayuda!

Political Education Trainings Thursday 2/19 and Thursday 3/12 — Sign Up Today!

DSA’s National Political Education Committee (NPEC) welcomes all DSA members to our upcoming trainings:

• Socialist Archiving 201: Digital Deep Dive. Thursday 2/19 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT
• Running a Socialist Night School. Thursday 3/12 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT

And did you know? NPEC has a weekly podcast, Class! Subscribe to find out what DSA members all over the country are thinking and doing, and why, every Monday.

AfroSoc is BACK in Action! BIPOC Members, Join Our February General Body Meeting Sunday 2/22

AfroSoc, DSA’s Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus, is back! Join our February General Meeting Sunday 2/22 at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT for announcements, a chapter spotlight on ATL AFROSOC, a walkthrough of the Start a Local Chapter Packet, and general discussion on WG/committee proposals. All BIPOC, good-standing DSA members are welcomed!

Working Group (WG) proposals are still being accepted, and bylaw changes are now open for submission for March discussion. You can review our current bylaws and submit resolutions here. Debate, voting, and collective decision-making will close out the February meeting.

Help Support DSA — Join Growth and Development Committee Phonebanks Starting Sunday 2/22

Join one of our upcoming Growth and Development phonebanks!

• Solidarity Dues Phonebank Sunday 2/22 at 5pm ET/4pm CT/3pm MT/2pm PT
• Recommitment Phonebank Wednesday 3/4 at 7pm ET/6pm CT/5pm MT/4pm PT

Trainings will be provided at the beginning of each call.

Do You Have Fundraising Experience? Apply for DSA’s National Fundraising Committee!

DSA’s National Fundraising Committee is seeking members with fundraising experience. The application form is here. The Fundraising Committee supports the coordination of national fundraising efforts and serves as an advisory body for DSA’s fundraising practices and strategy. We’ll also focus on leading chapter fundraising trainings and providing support to members taking on this work locally. Committee members spend at least 4-6 hours a month carrying out committee duties.

With ambitious plans and a long road ahead, we must sustain ourselves, and that means coordinated and strategic fundraising. As a socialist organization engaged in class struggle, we must fund our own work!

DSA is Hiring! Application Deadlines Starting Sunday 2/15

DSA is hiring for the following four positions:

• Chapter Development Coordinator, application deadline Sunday 2/15
• Regional Organizer (Northeast), application deadline Sunday 2/22
• Regional Organizer (South), application deadline Sunday Sunday 2/22
• Data and Technology Director, application deadline March 3/1

You can find details, including job description and application links, on our Careers page here.

And congratulations to Kaitlin, our new Lead Regional Organizer! Her years as DSA’s Regional Organizer for the South will serve her well in her new role.

Help Build Strong Chapters! Apply for the Locals First Implementation Committee

Last month, the NPC voted to allocate $850k in Chapter Development Grants that local chapters can apply for to fund a broad range of activities, including campaign work, equity and administrative activities, and events. As part of the implementation, we are forming a dedicated team under the Growth and Development Committee (GDC) to oversee the distribution of these grants.

If you’re excited about building strong, well-resourced chapters, you can apply to join the GDC through this form. Indicate “Matching Funds/Chapter Grants” as your area of interest!

DSA Fund is Hiring a Program Lead!

The Democratic Socialists of America Fund (DSA Fund) is seeking a full-time program lead to cultivate the How We Win network of 250+ democratic socialist elected officials, staff and DSA chapters across the country.

DSA Fund is the 501(c)3 political education sister organization to the Democratic Socialists of America, investing in projects that help build a democratic socialist future. The Program Lead position can be based anywhere in the US. Please see the job description for more information. Applications are due by Thursday 2/26.

The post Your National Political Committee newsletter — Socialism Beats Fascism appeared first on Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

The Midwest Socialist’s Editorial Board

Leonard

Pronouns: he/him/comrade

Neighborhood: Hermosa

Outside of Midwest Socialist: I’m on the North Side Blue Line steering committee, and I’m co-chair of the Political Education committee. 

Outside of DSA: I’m an occasional freelance writer, editor, and proofreader, and I work as a crossing guard for Chicago Public Schools, assigned to Northwest Middle School. My wife, Anna Forsher, is also very active in CDSA, and we love travel, sports, and having fun together.

Currently Reading: Seth Harp’s The Fort Bragg Cartel and Chester Himes’ Plan B.

Book Every Socialist Should Read: André Gorz’s Farewell to the Working Class.

If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? D. Boon, Nina Simone, and Joe Hill. Great music, great conversation with three passionate Marxists who led with their politics but also created unforgettable music.

Organizing Advice: Remember that you’re in the struggle for the long haul and don’t get too frustrated when you don’t see immediate wins. Like the saying goes, you’re planting the seeds of a tree whose shade you’ll never enjoy.

Publications: MWS writing here; Jacobin pieces here; lots more on my website, Immortal Science, here.

Binx

Pronouns: they/them/any

Neighborhood: Logan Square

Outside of Midwest Socialist: I serve as one of the chapter’s Harassment and Grievance Officers, as well as one of the co-chairs of the chapter’s Red Rabbits Committee. As a founding member of the RRC, I am also involved with the DSA’s National Security Commission.

Outside of DSA: I work for a non-profit doing social services and I am a staff editor for Sundress Publications. I have a dog, who I love more than anything on this earth, and I’ve gotten into crocheting lately. I’m working on a sweater for her.

Currently Reading: Urusla K. LeGuin’s “Always Coming Home,” and “M: Son of the Century” by Antonio Scurati (translated by Anne Milano Appel)

Book Every Socialist Should Read: Instead of recommending a book, I want to recommend subscribing to Lux Magazine. It’s literally the best magazine out there, especially because it’s a Marxist Feminist publication. Not only are the print magazines glossy and gorgeous, but the journalism is impeccable. Cannot recommend Lux enough!

If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? I would have dinner with Pier Paolo Pasolini, Audre Lorde, and Seamus Heaney. Pasolini having lived through Mussolini’s dictatorship as a gay writer, producer, and director; Lorde at the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality during the American Civil Rights movement; and Heaney being an anti-imperialist during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. As a poet and an anti-fascist myself, I think they’d each share some deeply valuable perspectives on poetics and politics from their experiences.

Organizing Advice: IT IS OKAY TO TAKE BREAKS. PLEASE TAKE BREAKS. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THIS WORLD, TAKE A BREAK. I am so serious, burn out will make you a demon to those around you. Do yourself and everyone in your life a favor by taking some time for yourself. IT IS OKAY.

Publications: Visit binxperino.com to check out the creative work that I’ve published over the years! Around Chicago, you can find copies of my chapbook Pure Light (2023) in various bookstores. You can also just enter my name into a search engine, if you’re nasty.

Nick

Pronouns: He/Him

Neighborhood: Andersonville

Outside of Midwest Socialist: I’m a member of the Communications Committee.

Outside of DSA: I’m a songwriter and musician, and I play in bands regularly around Chicago. I’m also a software engineer, avid Bulls fan, and I enjoy long bike rides by the lake.

Currently Reading: Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B. Traven.

Book Every Socialist Should Read: Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis.

If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? Neil Young, Tracy Chapman, Gil Scott Heron. Three uniquely talented and accomplished musical artists with deeply held political perspectives that they aren’t afraid to express in their work. I could learn a lot from each of them.

Organizing Advice: Have patience and show up consistently! It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Matt

Pronouns: He/They

Neighborhood: Northwest Side Blue Line Branch

Outside of Midwest Socialist: I served as Chicago DSA’s Political Education Coordinator from July to December 2024.

Outside of DSA: I have a master’s degree in history, and I am particularly interested in the history of East Germany, the Eastern Bloc, socialist/labor history, and the history of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries more generally. I speak fluent German and conversational Spanish, I collect currency from around the world, and I am a member of the North American Vexillological Association (NAVA).

Currently Reading: Just finished Blue Collar Empireby Jeff Schuhrke, about the zealous anticommunism of the AFL-CIO, its very active collaboration with the CIA, and its successful efforts to undermine democratic trade unionism at home and abroad during the Cold War. I am now rereading the classic alternate history novel The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick.

Book Every Socialist Should Read: Everything for Everyone by M.E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi. It’s a speculative oral history of a global anarcho-communist revolution that takes place from the 2050s to the 2070s. It is one of my favorite works of fiction of all time.

Another very formative book for me was Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell, a memoir of the author’s experience as a war correspondent embedded with an anarchist militia in the Spanish Civil War. It’s the book that taught me that socialism could be more than just the aesthetic of the banners and slogans of the bygone USSR, but a revolutionary experiment relentlessly advancing the cause of equality, radical democracy, and human freedom.

If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? Karl Liebknecht, Rosa Luxemburg, and Eugene Debs. They are easily my three favorite socialist figures of the twentieth century.

Organizing Advice: Intellectual pursuits are being hollowed out by social media, AI, and relentless attacks on public education. In this context, learning becomes a revolutionary act. Do your own reading, your own writing, and your own thinking. Your brain will thank you.

Publications: I write alternate-history themed settings for an independent tabletop roleplaying game publisher. I have also written for the Baffler, Chicago DSA’s Red Star Bulletin, and on my own (woefully out-of-date) Medium page.

Chase

Pronouns: He / Him

Neighborhood: Lincoln Square / Ravenswood

Outside of Midwest Socialist: I co-lead the Lincoln Square Social / Member Club, part of the Member Club pilot program within Chicago DSA. The focus is to activate, organize, and connect together members of Chicago DSA in Lincoln Square and the surrounding neighborhoods. 

Outside of DSA: Outside of DSA I work as a CPS Substitute teacher, and am currently completing my Masters in Education. I love learning languages, and speak German mostly fluently and Portuguese fairly well, with experience in several other languages. Additional passions of mine are Worldbuilding, watching movies, drawing, and writing. I am in fact working on publishing (on my substack) at least twelve short stories this year. 

Currently Reading: Currently I am reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I recently also finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. 

Book Every Socialist Should Read: I don’t know if I know a very novel answer to this question, but I did read Kim Moody’s Rank and File Strategy recently; especially for those organizing within the US today, I think it’s a good read. 

If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? This is such a difficult question. There are so many people I’d want to meet! I’ll give a shot:

1. Oetzi the Iceman: I actually saw his body on a trip to Italy, when I lived in nearby Austria. I would give anything to talk to anyone from the Neolithic, as I find the period, the dawn of “Civilization,” endlessly fascinating. Plus, he’s the oldest cold case in history!
2. Justinian II: Byzantine Emperor, last of the Heraclian dynasty. His great great grandfather, Heraclius, saved the Empire from the Parthians, only to lose half of it again to the nascent early Islamic Empire. Justinian II himself is interesting for being deposed, his nose cut off, exiled to Crimea, only to kill his guards, escape, and depose his deposer’s deposer (before being later again deposed). I’ve always thought he’d make a great subject of a book I’d like to write someday, so I’d love to chat!
3. Ursula K. Le Guin: I was not so much a fan of Le Guin when she was alive, but became one after her death. Earthsea and Always Coming Home are dear to my heart and great inspirations to me as a writer and as a human being. I would love the chance to talk to her and have her critique my own work!

Organizing Advice: Get to know your comrades! It’s hard to organize with somebody that you don’t know very well. 

Publications: I have not published anything for MWS as of yet, but I do have a substack! If you like short fiction of varying types follow my substack at @leerbaker1 (Lee R. Baker is my pen name). My plan for this year is to release 12 short stories in 12 months. 

Alec

Name: Alec Hudson

Pronouns: he/him

Neighborhood: Lincoln Square

Outside of Midwest Socialist: SEIU 73 member, Chicago DSA jack-of-all-trades.

Outside of DSA: New dad, history nerd, soccer fan, and traveler.

Currently Reading: The Paris Commune: A Brief History (Eichner, 2022), The New Deal: The Depression Years, 1933-1940 (Badger, 2002), The Socialist Challenge Today: Syriza, Corbyn, Sanders (Panitch, Gindin, & Maher, 2020).

If I could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would it be and why? Karl Marx for a good time, Eugene Debs to learn what it took to build a mass socialist party, and Gracchus Babeuf because I’m obsessed with the French Revolution and its role in establishing modern socialism/communism.

Organizing Advice: Stay curious and keep learning new skills!

Feel free to reach out via midwestsocialist at gmail dot com or send us your work!

The post Our Editorial Board: The Comrades Behind Midwest Socialist appeared first on Midwest Socialist.

On Saturday, February 7, as temperatures barely crested double digits, over 300 people across Maine gathered at the Maine Irish Heritage Center in Portland for a community meeting put on by the No ICE for ME coalition, aimed at educating residents on rights and skills to know in light of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) recent heightened activity throughout the state.

It’s been almost three weeks since ICE started their statewide “Operation Catch of the Day” on January 20, 2026; a focused flood of federal immigration agents into Maine with the sole purpose of raiding communities to abduct immigrants and refugees who they allege are violent criminals in the country illegally. Evidence has shown, however, that a good number of the people they detained are here legally, or are refugees already following the legal process; and, in the vast majority of instances, have no violent criminal history.

In light of the agency’s crude and often illegal tactics (which include stalking school drop off and pick up times, quickly disappearing people across state lines to disrupt access to legal representation, using bear spray on civilians recording their actions, and in a number of cases across the country shooting people who presented no threat), thousands of Mainers have not only bristled at the danger ICE presents to their communities, but have organized into networks of rapid response teams and mutual aid efforts in order to help protect their neighbors.

No ICE for ME, a group of resident volunteers with a number of organizational endorsements, has been at the forefront of planning and organizing community networks in case ICE decided to make a push into the state. Indeed, as soon as the ICE surge began in January, community networks organized by No ICE for ME jumped into action on Signal group chats, communicating and documenting what they observed, joining with school watch teams, and funneling people into mutual aid efforts in order to help families who didn’t feel safe leaving their homes.

According to Tophe, who works with Presente! Maine and organizes with No ICE for ME, the group formed last Spring in order to demand Cumberland County end its contract with ICE, wherein the Sheriff’s Dept. held ICE detainees in the county’s jail. But, as the year went on, he says they knew they would have to expand their mission. “We knew this moment was going to come, it was not a matter of if, but when. […] In 2025 alone, immigration detentions in Maine increased by 75%, so this was already a marked escalation that made it impossible for people to ignore.”

No ICE for ME was not the only community group to organize around an expected surge in ICE activity around the state. In October, the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Peoples’ Coalition for Safety and Justice (PCSJ) launched the Maine ICE Watch Hotline. Their mission is to receive and verify tips about ICE and Border Patrol activity in Maine communities, providing real time updates and connecting families to supportive resources. There is also the Maine Solidarity Fund, a project of the PCSJ, which collects donations in order to help with legal support, familial support, and healthcare access for immigrant and marginalized people facing increased harassment, discrimination, and detention across Maine.

And while all these groups surely have overlapping participation, Saturday’s community meeting in Portland was officially the work of No ICE for ME. Tophe clearly laid out why the group thought it was necessary. “So many people were suddenly volunteering to fill emergency food distribution shifts at Presente, to donate to the Maine Solidarity Fund, they were flyering about the Hotline in their communities and protesting almost every day. And that power cannot be ignored, it has to be cultivated, grown, and nurtured. There are so many people asking ‘what can I do?’ […] So, the idea behind this event is to hold sessions on real tangible skills that not only can people learn themselves, but to share with their communities.”

The day’s events went from 12 to 4 PM, with panels and workshops covering a plethora of topics. The first session lasted until 2:30, and attendees got to choose among four different workshops depending on their areas of interest and need. One of the first workshops was a training on workplace preparedness, involving a number of teachers and restaurant workers who went over the Fourth Amendment right protecting against unconstitutional searches and seizures. They shared how ICE is not constitutionally permitted to enter restricted workplace areas, and how workers can physically set up their workplaces to make them safer.

There was also a very well attended noncompliance workshop, which focused on the history and theory of resisting unjust and immoral laws through noncooperative tactics. At the same time there was a presentation on how folks can learn to become a trained verifier when observing and documenting ICE activity in their communities, and an important workshop on digital security where attendees could learn the basics on how to protect one’s self or organization from being doxxed or infiltrated via communications.

After a brief break, where could mingle and partake in a zine designing work area to contribute to an anti-ICE zine build, which was fairly busy throughout the day, the second session started. Three simultaneous workshops were offered; upstairs, there was a de-escalation training on skills to identify different levels of escalation, de-escalation strategies, and on how one can focus on grounding and centering themselves and others during moments of crisis and tension in order to keep things from escalating. Downstairs was where attendees could find two other workshops, one being a presentation on mutual aid primarily helmed by members of Presente! Maine, focused on how to help meet community needs via raising funds but also how to get connected to provide direct food, rent, and utility assistance to their neighbors. 

Also downstairs was a panel on protest and picketline safety, which has become more pertinent given the increased number of rallies and actions that have sprung up nationwide in response to ICE, as well as increased union activity under an anti-labor Trump administration. Speakers brought a range of different experiences, including Todd Chretien, candidate for State House District 112 and longtime organizer; Arthur Phillips, Maine AFL-CIO Campaigns Director; Troy Jackson, gubernatorial candidate and union member; and Arlo, a longtime community organizer in southern Maine. They focused on how to make safety and security decisions based on different scenarios, considering the size of the action, whether it is in a friendly or hostile area, and considering nearby establishments like schools and houses of worship. 

In the end, over 300 attendees walked away having learned skills they previously lacked in hopes of sharing and applying them in their own communities in order to keep their neighbors safer. As to why it’s important, Tophe of Presente! noted, “We know that there’s a space for everyone to do something at this moment. We can’t all do everything, but everyone can do something. This event is to help people find their niche, see where they fit in. Because we know another surge is going to come, and we need to be even more prepared.”

This idea that the surge will come again, or perhaps that it hasn’t even left, has been a popular chorus with organizers. While Sen. Collins and ICE have claimed that they’ve ended their surge in Maine; volunteers still observe and document daily instances of ongoing ICE and Border Patrol activity in their communities. It’s clear to many that the immigration agencies are merely playing possum, feigning retreat while shifting tactics to be less visible. When asked why it’s important to keep up and build out these community groups in the aftermath of ICE’s recent operation, Portland City Councilor Wes Pelletier, who has been active in these community defense efforts, had this to say. “Trump and ICE think they can de-escalate the situation by telling us they’ve left, but we know they haven’t. It’s important during this time when their activity seems low to keep building. Because, if and when they do re-escalate, we need to be ready to protect our neighbors again. We need to maintain a level of awareness and vigilance.”

When asked for his final reflections on the event, panelist and State House candidate Todd Chretien summed up his thoughts. “This provided a place for people who have been working for many months, who all came together and blunted ICE’s intention to kidnap 1,400 people. We lost 206 family members, which is terrible and we want all those people brought home; but, it’s important to say that the collective efforts everyone engaged in prevented ICE from stealing another thousand people out of our community. I firmly believe that if everybody had not participated in the ways they have, ICE would still be publicly camped out in Portland, in Lewiston and Bangor. Our collective efforts have forced them back underground, and we have to be vigilant because that threat is not over. But, we are stronger and better prepared for the next round, and eventually to abolish ICE.”

The post Hundreds Attend “No ICE” Skill Share in Portland appeared first on Pine & Roses.