Yuma Community Holds Vigil Honoring Lives Lost During ICE Operations

Yuma community members gathering outside of the Mexican Consulate in Downtown Yuma. July 2026.

On July 15, community members in Yuma, Arizona, gathered for a vigil honoring those who have lost their lives during ICE detention or ICE operations.

Local organizers planned the vigil in response to the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was fatally shot by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. As preparations for the vigil were underway, another fatal ICE-related shooting occurred.

Joan Sebastian Guerrero, a 26-year-old father living in Maine, was also fatally shot.

Dozens of people gathered outside the Mexican Consulate in downtown Yuma to mourn those who had lost their lives and to call for justice for the victims and their families.

Araceli Aquino, one of the vigil organizers, told attendees that although the community had gathered under “devastating circumstances,” there was power in coming together during difficult times.

“This should not be happening,” Aquino said. “We should not have to gather to mourn lives lost under circumstances like these. We should not allow this reality to become something we accept as normal.”

The vigil came as President Donald Trump lifted a temporary pause on ICE traffic stops, organizers said, one day after the pause was ordered by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Organizers distributed Know Your Rights cards and Migra Watch Hotline cards, reminding attendees that both citizens and noncitizens have constitutional rights when interacting with ICE.

To learn more about protecting your rights and getting involved in community efforts, visit raze.org/protectourpueblos.