Austin faith communities held a vigil on Wednesday at St. David’s Episcopal Church to mourn eight people who died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody or during immigration enforcement actions this year.
Church leaders said the vigil honored Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban immigrant who died while in solitary confinement in ICE custody; Victor Manuel Diaz, a Nicaraguan man detained by ICE in Minnesota who reportedly died by suicide; Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz of Honduras; Parady La of Cambodia; and Heber Sanchaz Dominguez of Mexico, who all died while in ICE custody.
The vigil also recognized American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who authorities said were killed after encounters with immigration officers during protests in Minnesota.
ICE states on its website that detention centers provide medical care from the time individuals arrive and throughout their stay, including mental health screenings, and that no one in detention is denied care.
Dianne Hardy-Garcia, the church’s director of community engagement and advocacy, said some people carry extra paperwork and identification out of fear that their documents could be confiscated.
“We can do better than this, we’re not against immigration enforcement; we’re against reckless, random immigration enforcement,” Hardy-Garcia said.
Faith communities began holding the vigils last year, and organizers identified Wednesday’s gathering as the first of the year. The church also collects food for donation to local food banks.
Organizers held a community engagement workshop after the vigil to discuss potential solutions for supporting immigrants in Austin.
