CONCORD, CA — On Thursday, the Concord Immigrant Protections Network gathered with community members, faith leaders, immigrant justice advocates, and local organizations at Todos Santos Plaza for a vigil honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero, Juan Jairo Coronilla Duran, and all people who have suffered from ICE violence,
Community members gathered at the water fountain before holding a silent procession around the plaza, carrying crosses bearing the names of people killed by ICE and distributing information calling on Congress to take immediate action. Mayor Nakamura joined speakers in standing with immigrant communities and recognizing the urgency of this moment as families across the country continue to face violence, fear, and disappearance at the hands of ICE.
“The deaths of Lorenzo, Johan, and Juan are not isolated tragedies. They are the result of a violent immigration enforcement system that treats our communities as disposable,” said Raul Arana, Jr., Community Engagement Coordinator with United Latino Voices and a member of the Concord Immigrant Protections Network. “We gathered today because we refuse to let their names be forgotten, and we refuse to normalize ICE killing, detaining, disappearing, and terrorizing our people. Our community is demanding truth, accountability, and an end to local collaboration with ICE.”
The vigil comes after the recent killings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston while driving a work van with his crew, and Johan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old man who was fatally shot by ICE during a vehicle stop in Biddeford, Maine, as his wife and toddler witnessed the killing. Juan Jairo Coronilla Duran, a Mexican tourist visiting Florida, was killed by a truck fleeing an encounter with ICE. Organizers also uplifted the more than 50 people who have died in detention centers, the ongoing disappearance of people by ICE, and recent reports of ICE abductions in Concord.
“This vigil is about lament, but it is also about moral clarity,” said Reverend Leslie Takahashi, Minister at Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church in Walnut Creek. “No family should have to wonder whether their loved one will come home from work, from a traffic stop, or from an encounter with federal agents. No child should have to witness their parent killed by the state. We are called to stand with immigrant families, to resist being silenced by fear, and to demand that every person be treated with dignity and humanity.”
The Concord Immigrant Protections Network is calling for a full and independent investigation into the killings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero, and Juan Jairo Coronilla Duran; the immediate release and protection of detained witnesses; an end to local collaboration with ICE; and congressional action to hold ICE and the Department of Homeland Security accountable.
“Concord families are living with the real fear of ICE activity in our neighborhoods,” said Jennifer Morales, Organizing Manager at Monument Impact and a member of the Concord Immigrant Protections Network. “When people are being abducted, detained, and killed, silence is not an option. Local governments must stop cooperating with ICE, Congress must use its oversight power, and our communities must continue organizing to protect one another.”
Organizers are demanding that members of Congress use their oversight and funding authority to hold ICE and DHS accountable, including public hearings, public answers, and opposition to additional enforcement funding until there are independent investigations and protections for all witnesses.
The vigil made clear that Concord’s immigrant communities and allies will not allow ICE violence to be hidden, minimized, or treated as business as usual.
No more names on crosses. No more families disappeared. No more ICE violence without accountability
This was a press release submitted by Concord Immigrant Protections Network
