National Protests Honor Immigrant Deaths, Demand Justice

A nationwide day of action, encompassing over 300 events, was held to honor immigrants who have died and to demand justice, especially in light of President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign. In Los Angeles, a somber procession of 73 cardboard coffins marched through the downtown area, symbolizing the lives lost.

The "Justice for Lorenzo. Justice for Johan. Justice for All. Abolish ICE" commemoration was planned across approximately 330 U.S. communities. This movement, driven by immigrant rights organizations and religious groups, was sparked by the recent deaths of two immigrants allegedly at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican father of three U.S. citizens, was shot on July 7 in Houston, Texas, while driving to work. Less than a week later, on July 13, Johan Sebastián Guerrero 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 detention centers due to negligence. This cannot continue," stated Guillermo Torres, a member of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), a religious organization involved in the protest.

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

The 73 coffins in the Los Angeles procession represented immigrant deaths linked to the White House's policies aimed at achieving record deportation numbers. Beyond the two men killed by ICE agents, the display included the names of 53 immigrants who have died in ICE custody since Trump took office, with 33 of those deaths occurring in fiscal year 2026.

Organizers and participants in events held in cities like Chicago, New York, and Houston are demanding greater transparency from the White House. They specifically called for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to release and not deport the three individuals who were traveling with Salgado and witnessed his shooting, ensuring they can provide their testimony. Erika Andiola, political director of the National Immigrant Rights Network, emphasized the need to unite in defense of immigrant workers and day laborers, who she stated "endure the worst of anti-immigrant hate while building our communities and defending human rights."

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We must unite to defend ourselves and honor immigrant workers and day laborers, who endure the worst of anti-immigrant hate while building our communities and defending human rights. Today we gather to mourn their loss and demand an end to the reign of terror of ICE.