POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — Immigrant rights advocates will hold an interfaith Day of the Dead vigil Sunday, Oct. 25, outside the Broward Transitional Center to honor people who died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody or were fatally shot by ICE and Border Patrol agents.

Day of the Dead Vigil in Pompano Beach

The vigil, part of the Protect Black Migrant Week of Action, will call for immigrant protections and improved detention conditions. It will also urge an extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals.

Who: Immigrant rights advocates, faith leaders, community members and representatives of advocacy groups. These include the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Palm Beach County Indivisible and Detention Watch Network.

What: An interfaith vigil honoring lives lost to immigration enforcement. It also urges Florida’s U.S. senators to support an extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals.

Where: Broward Transitional Center, 3900 N. Powerline Road, Pompano Beach, Florida. The GEO Group owns and operates the facility.

When: Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. Event time is to be confirmed.

Haitian TPS Extension Is a Focus of the Vigil

Organizers say at least 58 people have died in ICE custody since President Donald Trump took office and at least 11 people have been fatally shot by ICE and Border Patrol agents. They also say Florida has recorded more deaths in ICE custody since 2025 than in all the years combined since 2018.

“In ICE detention, deprivation of freedom, isolation, uncertainty, and abysmal conditions, including inadequate medical care and mental health services, inedible food, and racist abuse, are a lethal combination that puts lives in jeopardy.”

“The Trump administration’s massive detention expansion is exacerbating the inhumane conditions inherent to ICE’s detention system.”

Advocates are urging U.S. Sens. Rick Scott and Ashley Moody of Florida to co-sponsor S. 4814, which would extend TPS for more than 300,000 Haitian beneficiaries nationwide, including about 158,000 in Florida.

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Organizers say more than 450 Haitians have been deported since TPS protections ended in late July 2026. Moreover, they warn that the deportations threaten family unity and put lives at risk. The deportations also affect essential industries, including health care, construction and agriculture.

Immigration Detention and Community Safety

“No one is safe when ICE is present — whether on the streets or in one of the agency’s more than 200 abuse-ridden detention facilities,” said Nanci Palacios, organizing and membership director at Detention Watch Network.

“Our message is clear: Immigrant lives are of value, and immigrants deserve safety, dignity and respect. We mourn the loss of life in ICE custody, valued loved ones who deserved to return to their families alive.”

The coalition is calling for immigration detention centers in Florida and across the country to close. It also wants federal immigration enforcement funding redirected to housing, food security and other essential community services.

The vigil will honor those who have died, stand with families facing detention or deportation, and call on elected officials to prioritize human dignity, family unity and community safety.

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