On May 1, what is traditionally known as International Workers Day, union leaders and progressive activists in Honolulu seized the spotlight to point fingers not at failing economic policies, overregulation, or inflation—but at the Trump administration. Again.

From the Hawaii State Capitol to the Prince Kuhio Federal Building, hundreds of union-backed demonstrators marched under the pretense of “workers’ rights,” but their real agenda was clear: revive the tired narrative that President Trump is somehow the root cause of every labor woe in the country—even in 2025.

The protests framed the administration’s push for national security-focused reforms as a villainous attack on collective bargaining, ignoring the reality that when you’re dealing with defense, intelligence, or homeland protection, efficiency and loyalty sometimes need to trump bureaucracy. There’s a difference between protecting workers and protecting the nation.

As expected, progressive groups like Aloha Latinos and the Hawaii Workers Center piled on, tying in ICE enforcement and deportation policies as if enforcing immigration law was equivalent to cruelty. The emotional appeals, while gripping, don’t change the facts: illegal immigration is illegal, and secure borders are a matter of national interest—not oppression.

Perhaps most ironic was the claim that deportations are hurting Hawaii’s farming economy. Instead of asking why farmers rely on undocumented labor, maybe we should ask why decades of regulation, high taxes, and government red tape have made it impossible for legal local workers to fill those roles. The blame doesn’t fall on immigration enforcement—it falls on bloated government policy and the very union-backed political establishment currently protesting.

May Day in Honolulu was less about championing workers and more about scapegoating. If unions really cared about worker prosperity, they’d protest the high cost of living, the crushing tax burden, and failed educational outcomes—not the policies of a past president who tried to put America (and American workers) first.

Bottom line: Protecting jobs is noble. But using union platforms to sling partisan blame while ignoring deeper, systemic policy failures is anything but productive. Hawaii deserves real solutions, not progressive theatrics.