Memorial for workers detained by ICE removed in Immokalee
By Edward Franco
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IMMOKALEE, Fla. (WBBH) — A memorial set up by local artists in Immokalee to honor 35 people whose families say were detained by ICE was removed just a day after its installation near Camp Keais Road, where witnesses say the detentions occurred as workers were heading to a tomato field last week.
Maria Plata from Unidos Immokalee expressed her disappointment, saying, “It’s really sad and just super disappointing because that sign was not for anybody else but other people who are in the same situation who also have experienced family separation.”
The memorial featured a sign with a chain-link silhouette of a mother embracing her child, the words “ICE stole mamás y papás here,” and “35,” alongside pots similar to those used by tomato field workers. It stood for less than a day before being taken down.
Adolfo Garcia, an artist from Immokalee who helped create the memorial, said, “Five years ago, they were essential workers, and now they are treated worse than criminals.”
Plata noted the emotional impact on the families she has been assisting, stating, “Many of the families that I’ve been helping and volunteering with have really, you know, just been very heartbroken about what’s been occurring. Some of them were really happy to see the sign.”
Neither Plata nor Garcia knows who removed the memorial, but Collier County codes prohibit signs or displays on public roadways or medians. Plata said, “If that is the case, then we will just abide by those rules and then put something else up again.”
Officials say these rules are meant to keep roadways clear and safe, but for the artists behind the memorial, it feels like another loss.
“We put it there, planning for a few days, thinking we’d take it down later. But someone else took it down; who knows what they did with it,” said Garcia.
Efforts to reach county, state, and federal agencies for information regarding ICE detainees in Southwest Florida have not yet yielded a response. Meanwhile, the artists in Immokalee plan to continue expressing their message and supporting affected families.
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