Despite the weather turning quite cold and rainy, approximately 37 participants showed up for a Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos event to memorialize the 22 lives that have been lost this year while in custody of ICE detention facilities across America. Stories of individuals were shared and a festival altar was created with photos and traditional items such as marigolds, sugar skulls, paper banners, and votive candles.
Since food is a typical offering on a festival altar, a food drive to benefit Family Service Society of Paducah was conducted, and the food and monetary donations will be presented Monday there. In addition to multiple large boxes of food items, $100 cash was donated. Online donations were encouraged for those unable to attend the event or in lieu of cash.
Father Charles Uhlik of Grace Episcopal Church and Rev. Leah Eubanks of Disciples of Christ/Dawson Springs delivered remarks in a memorial vigil ceremony, and Four Rivers Indivisible members dressed in traditional dress and with painted faces read the names, ages, and the facility involved for the 22 who died.
The memorial vigil was followed by protest chants and sign waving to passing motorists on Park Avenue, who showed their support with honks and waves. Signs such as STOP ICE; NO ICE, NO FEAR—IMMIGRANTS ARE WELCOME HERE; and NO MASKED ICE AGENTS were typical. Some local residents of Mexican heritage wore traditional dress and joined in dancing and chanting with the other protestors, who included two new mascots for the group, inflatable unicorns Paducah Pedro (“courage magic in action”) and Paducah Paula (“too sparkly to be silent”).
Participants expressed outrage and sadness at current ICE practices including inhumane treatment and use of excessive violence, use of masks, unprofessional and lawless behavior, and the targeting of protestors engaging in legal behavior with violent actions such as tear gas and shooting pepper balls. The high percentage of deaths in ICE custody at the Krome Detention Center in Florida was noted, as this facility was where 20% of the deaths happened, often due to medical neglect. A number of the 22 deaths remain under investigation and occurred under questionable circumstances.
Information on the Ground Avelo boycott was shared, as well as of a new boycott of Spotify that is in the works for accepting ICE recruitment ads. Avelo Airlines has been the target of protestors in cities where they conduct flights due to opposition to flying on an airline that is also assisting in unlawful deportations — at times in defiance of a court order — and practicing inhumane treatment of nonviolent detainees.
Information was available from national news stories about some of the detainees who died in ICE custody, including one whose death was witnessed by another detainee who was later released and deported back to Northern Ireland despite no criminal record. The Irish national was picked up and told it was because he looked “Mexican,” and because he ran a stop sign while riding his bicycle to work, in an area where there was no stop sign. Some participants shared that they were concerned that the public just does not know about the abuses occurring. The organizer called on local media to do a more thorough job informing the public of the current status of local jail facilities that are reportedly “at capacity” because of all the immigrant detainees.
Information was shared about Four Rivers Indivisible and their actions to support immigrants, including a current project to educate businesses about immigrant rights, workplace safety, and signage, and to promote posting of supportive signage. For more information about Four Rivers Indivisible see www.fourriversindivisible.org or visit them on Facebook where they maintain a public page, as well as Instagram and Bluesky.
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