Vigil held for victims of ICE

The glow of candles illuminated the faces of more than 50 people who attended a vigil to mourn those who’ve been killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

Brandon Pride organized the vigil at Knox United Church on Tuesday evening as a way for community members to stand in solidarity against violence.

The vigil began with an opening prayer and song that was sung by Susie McPherson-Derendy, a Cree knowledge keeper, followed by a series of seven speakers, including Nora Wilson, who’s the chairperson of Brandon Pride.

Wilson said the vigil was about remembering the victims and creating an opportunity for people in Westman to fight against oppression, fascism and violence in the U.S.

“We can come together and do things that resist those violent actions happening down south, right here in this community,” she said.

“We believe that everyone should be treated fairly, with dignity, with respect, and that we all respect each other’s sovereignty.”

The vigil comes after multiple people have been fatally shot or died in ICE detention centres since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025 and cracked down on immigration.

Last month, two people were killed in Minneapolis, sparking nationwide protests across the U.S.

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, was killed on Jan. 24 by U.S. Border Patrol officers. He was shot more than a mile from where an ICE agent killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, on Jan. 7.

Victor Manuel Diaz, a 36-year-old man from Nicaragua, died in ICE custody on Jan. 14 in El Paso, Texas, an ICE news release said on Jan. 18. He is listed on the ICE website as one of multiple people who have died in a detention centre this year.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has pledged to put more than 2,000 ICE agents in Minnesota, The Associated Press reported.

Wilson, who lived in Washington state for nearly 30 years, said the violent actions of ICE under the Trump administration are inherently racist and oppressive against marginalized groups. Those oppressive behaviours have been used against people at anti-ICE protests, including journalists, who are being silenced and physically harmed, she said.

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort were arrested and face charges of conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers after they were covering protests at a church in St. Paul, Minn., The Associated Press reported.

Wilson said Canadians “should be appalled” by what’s happening and understand that Canada is “not immune to those kind of forces.”

As a transgender woman, she fears being detained at the Canada-U.S. border and hasn’t felt safe to visit her friends and family in the U.S.

She said Brandon Pride is committed to amplifying the voices of people in any marginalized group because “our identities intersect with everybody” and “if one group is having their rights taken away, everybody has their rights taken away.”

During the vigil, the names of people who have been fatally shot in the streets by ICE or have died in detention centres were read aloud. Wilson said she believes there are many more deaths that have gone unreported.

Jazmin Davie, vice-chair of communications for Brandon Pride, said although she has been feeling helpless about what’s happening, seeing so many people show their support at the vigil gives her hope.

“We know people are getting murdered, and right now, no one is being held accountable for their deaths,” she said.

“As Canadians, we need to stand up for what is right. We need to continue to protest and to share our opinions, and to plead with our own leaders in power to make a difference.”

Brandon University Students’ Union president Charles Adamu said he has also been feeling helpless, but he realized that speaking up was the least he could do.

“I wish I had some genius strategy of how to end everything that’s going on. I don’t, but I think what we’re doing right now, just coming together and talking about this … is very, very important,” he said.

Another speaker, Michelle Klyne, said she’s questioning her safety in regard to making any future trips across the border as a First Nations transgender woman.

“What they’re doing out there is really horrible and it’s really scary,” she said.

“It gets frustrating because I could easily be pulled aside … something could happen to me and I could be detained wherever and no one would even know.”

The vigil ended with community members being given the chance to openly share their thoughts about ICE with others.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com