Migrants march with 73 symbolic coffins in Los Angeles, demanding justice for ICE-related deaths

Seventy-three symbolic cardboard coffins were carried through downtown Los Angeles on Saturday by migrants and activists, demanding justice for immigrants who have died in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The procession was part of a nationwide day of action involving over 300 events aimed at honoring deceased immigrants and protesting what organizers call "mass deportation" policies under President Donald Trump.

The funeral procession, which passed by Los Angeles City Hall, was a key part of a commemoration titled "Justice for Lorenzo. Justice for Joan. Justice for All. Abolish ICE." This movement, spearheaded by immigrant rights organizations and religious groups, emerged following the recent deaths of two immigrants allegedly at the hands of ICE agents. The protest calls for an end to ICE's operations.

Among the cases highlighted were Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican father of three U.S. citizens, who was shot on July 7 in Houston while reportedly driving to work. Less than a week later, on July 13, Joan Sebastián Guerrero, a Colombian national, died in Biddeford, Maine, after being shot in front of his partner and young child. "It is our obligation to denounce this injustice. These two immigrants should still be alive, as should all those who have died in ICE jails victims of negligence. This cannot continue," stated Guillermo Torres, a member of Clérigos y Laicos Unidos por una Justicia Económica (CLUE), a religious organization involved in the protest.

The 73 coffins represented the number of immigrant deaths linked to the Trump administration's policies aimed at achieving record deportation numbers. This figure includes the two men shot by ICE agents, as well as 53 other immigrants who died while in ICE custody since Trump took office, 33 of whom died during fiscal year 2026. Organizers in cities like Chicago, New York, and Houston demanded greater transparency from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, urging them to release and not deport three witnesses to Salgado's death.

“

It is our obligation to denounce this injustice. These two immigrants should still be alive, as should all those who have died in ICE jails victims of negligence. This cannot continue.