More than 30 people and one loyal dog gathered Sunday, Nov. 2, on the front steps of Fort Myers City Hall for a candlelight vigil honoring immigrants who died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.
The event coincided with Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. For Cassandra Molina, the connection was deeply personal.
“Just coming from a family of immigrants, I know the struggle,” she said. “I know firsthand what we face, what they face in the detention centers. So I just felt, especially on Day of the Dead, [it was important] to commemorate those who shouldn’t have died.”
Attendees lit candles, displayed a poster with the names of those who had died, and took turns speaking through a megaphone. Some came from as far as Naples.
“We need unity. We need power,” Molina said. “We need more events like these to make a real change and have hope for the future.”
The vigil had no single organizer and was shared online by several local advocacy groups. Similar events were held in other cities across the country.
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