Outside Michigan ICE detention center, activists mourn the dead and demand change

The day was coming to an end, and the GEO sign identifying the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin remained covered with photographs of people who had died while in the hands of immigration enforcement. An offering of flower petals, bread, drinks and candles reflected El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, an Indigenous-rooted tradition observed Oct. 31-Nov. 2 in parts of Latin America, particularly Mexico, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, to honor the dead.

Organized by several Immigrant Rights advocates from Muskegon to Detroit, approximately 100 people from across the state gathered outside North Lake, the largest ICE detention center in the Midwest, to honor and remember those who have died in ICE custody, as well as those killed by ICE and Border Patrol agents this year. They were also standing in solidarity with those held inside the processing center operated by the Florida-based private contractor GEO Group.

“The purpose of this event is to amplify the names of those who have been brutally taken from their families, their loved ones, their community by ICE or CBP,” Ale Rojas with Movimiento Cosecha and No Detention Centers in Michigan, told Michigan Advance. “One of the biggest things for us right now is recognizing that we, as a community, are hurting, so we can continue to build community and remember that we can show up for each other.”

Bringing together so many activist organizations and coalitions from across Michigan was easier than it had been a few months ago, Rojas said, noting that “the desire for action, for an actual movement, seems to be stronger now among organizations throughout the state.” 

No Detention Centers in Michigan; Movimiento Cosecha GR; West Michigan Clergy Action; the Coalition to Shut the Camps; Asamblea Popular Detroit; and Metro Detroit DSA were among the organizers.

The number of fatalities linked to immigration enforcement across the country has increased compared to previous years. Since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second administration, at least 57 deaths have been recorded in ICE custody, including the death of Nenko Gantchev, a Bulgarian citizen and Chicago resident, which occurred last December in North Lake, along with at least 11 fatal shootings involving ICE and Border Patrol agents. 

The most recent person to be fatally shot by immigration agents was Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old Colombian national who died July 13 in Biddeford, Maine, during an ICE operation. The most recent individual to die while in custody was Guillermo Pascual Verganza, a 43-year-old Guatemalan citizen who passed away Oct. 24 at the Otay Mesa detention center in San Diego, California.

In Michigan, the most recent case of a death linked to an immigration operation involves Mario David Coronado Juárez, 35, a Guatemalan man who died Sept. 20 in a traffic accident in Grand Rapids in which ICE was involved.

For Nuala Richards, 24, who came to the vigil from Grand Rapids, the actions of immigration enforcement are reminiscent of what one would see in a fascist state. 

“The lobster doesn’t realize they’re being boiled until the water is boiling,” Richards said. “I don’t want this to be a continuation of what this country has been in the past. And I think if we can do anything to stop our country from being genocidal and continuing these atrocities, I think we should be doing that.”

Whitney Morton, 33, a resident of the Detroit area, hopes that elected officials and those aspiring to hold public office will understand how determined community members are to get immigrants out of detention centers.

“We are torturing people and tormenting people,” Morton said. “And if people believe any of the things in young adult stories—in those Marvel movies you’ve watched—if you believe in that, then you hate ICE, and you’re down here demanding that our neighbors be set free.”

After leaving candles and sharing traditional breads and drinks associated with the celebration, dozens of people moved toward another gate overlooking one of the cellblocks to hold a rally, featuring chants and speeches in support of the inmates.

“Our message is clear: Immigrant lives are of value, and immigrants deserve safety, dignity, and respect. We mourn the loss of life in ICE custody, valued loved ones who deserved to return to their families alive,” said Nanci Palacios, Organizing and Membership Director at Detention Watch Network.