40+ Day Of The Dead Vigils Target ICE After Record In-Custody Deaths; Aurora GEO Facility In Spotlight

Regis University students and local advocates plan a Día de los Muertos vigil outside Aurora’s GEO-run ICE detention center, joining more than 40 coordinated actions nationwide memorializing people who died in immigration custody or en route to the U.S. Organizers cite what advocates and recent reporting describe as a record year for ICE in-custody deaths—at least 25 in the past nine months—while calling for oversight and an end to private detention. The event features an altar and remarks from families, faith leaders, and community groups including AFSC, aligning with a broader national pattern of memorials and protests aimed at detention conditions.