As the sun began to set on Western Washington University on Monday, Jan. 26, countless voices chanted “presente” in response to the reading of 38 names, one for each person whose death was caused by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal immigration officers since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA), a student-led activist group, organized the vigil — lighting candles, handing out flowers and setting out framed photos of the victims killed as a result of ICE violence. The event was planned in the wake of increased ICE presence around the country, resulting in questions about community-wide safety.
“People are being targeted by ICE everywhere. Not just Latinos, not just Hispanic individuals, everyone,” said a group of representatives from MEChA, who requested to stay anonymous. “We are currently at a time where everything feels very heavy.”
Liz Darrow, the participatory democracy program coordinator at Community to Community Development, a Bellingham-based organization that advocates for farmworker and immigrant rights, was invited by MEChA and attended the vigil to show her support. In light of ICE’s actions, she believes that speaking up is the best way to show solidarity.
“It looks different here than it does in Minneapolis,” Darrow said. “But that doesn’t mean that people aren’t dying in detention and trying to escape those harms, and that people aren't being captured and deported every day in Whatcom County.”
Aidan Hadley (he/him) is a fourth-year journalism major, creative writing minor, and the editor-in-chief for The Front. When he's not in the newsroom, you can find him making frequent trips to the grocery store, cursing out the rain or staying warm under probably too many blankets. You can reach him at aidanh.thefront@gmail.com.
