National Nurses United denounces federal charges against Minnesota protesters

National Nurses United has condemned federal prosecutors’ charges against peaceful protesters in Minnesota, saying the case amounts to intimidation tied to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in early 2026. The union said the prosecution is aimed at punishing people for protesting their government and discouraging future dissent.

In a statement released June 20, the nation’s largest union of registered nurses said the charges were a response to organizing against Operation Metro Surge, which NNU described as an ICE occupation. The union said nurses and trade unionists were among those who helped mobilize community opposition to the operation.

NNU said the federal case is politically motivated and characterized the allegations as vague and sensationalized. The union said that despite being described as violent, the protesters’ actions were not violent. According to the statement, those actions included organizing online chats and rapid-response networks, raising money, and monitoring federal activity in their communities.

The union also pointed to what it described as the broader history of labor solidarity in the United States. NNU said unions have long stood with communities against oppression and that Minnesota residents came together in solidarity against Operation Metro Surge. The statement said that solidarity and organizing played a role in the Trump administration abandoning the operation.

The release also referred to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, RN. NNU said those deaths have not been forgotten and criticized the Trump Department of Justice for failing to investigate or hold officers accountable. The union described Pretti as an intensive care unit registered nurse and said he was among the Minnesotans killed.

NNU said the events in Minnesota showed why working people continue to organize and join unions. The statement said collective action has been central to gains such as safer working conditions, economic security, civil rights, and workplace democracy. It said nurses will continue to advocate for patients when health is at risk and in the streets when democratic freedoms are threatened.

“Our solidarity will not be broken,” NNU Executive Director Puneet Maharaj said in the release. Maharaj said trade unionists around the country, including NNU members, would not be intimidated by what the union called draconian charges. He said the administration’s actions were a brazen attempt at intimidation and abuse of power, and he said the union would not forget activists such as Alex Pretti, whom he said had put their lives on the line to resist the occupation.

National Nurses United said it has more than 225,000 members nationwide. The union described itself as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States. Its affiliates include the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.