Tallahassee, FL – On November 1, about 30 community members gathered at an ICE Field for a press conference on Dias De Los Muertos.

The event comes at a time when ICE has conducted thousands of raids, kidnappings and the disappearance of over 59,000 people. Since Trump’s inauguration, 25 people have died in ICE detention.

“ICE has been harassing and terrorizing our communities for decades, under both Democratic and Republican governments,” said Isabel Ruano of Tallahassee Community Area Response Equipo (TCARE). “The Trump administration has just taken it to a higher level of cruelty and dehumanization of immigrants. That’s why we’re here, right in front of the ICE field office in Tallahassee, where people are brought before being sent to detention centers.”

Ruano explained that press conference attendees displayed photographs of individuals who had died in detention on this day as a moment to honor their lives, declare their dignity and remind the public that they were human beings.

Aiden Bennet, press spokesperson for the Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance (TIRA), said “TIRA has been at the forefront of the immigrant rights struggle in Tallahassee throughout this year, as violence against immigrants has escalated under both [Governor] DeSantis and Trump. We knew we had to be here today – to demand justice for those who have died in detention facilities.”

Bennet added that protecting immigrant communities requires building political power.

Tallahassee is no stranger to ICE raids. Just last summer, over 100 construction workers were detained in one of the largest ICE raids in Florida history.

In October, the Tallahassee City Commission voted 3-2 to maintain the city’s 287 (g) agreement. The agreement authorizes the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) to work with ICE. This agreement did not need to be signed, as it only applies to local police departments that have holding cells, which TPD does not have. Mayor John Dailey and Commissioners Dianne Williams‑Cox and Curtis Richardson voted against rescinding the agreement.

Bennet stated, “We need to hold our city and county commissioners accountable. Getting both citizens and immigrants of any status involved in the political struggle is how we fight back against this violence.”

The press conference was organized by TCARE and cosponsored by TIRA, Tallahassee Community Action Committee, Food Not Bombs, Power Up People and several other community organizations.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #ImmigrantRights

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