Truman community mourns ICE victims at vigil

Truman State University students and Kirksville community members came together to commemorate the individuals who have died in Immigration Customs Enforcement custody throughout 2025 and 2026 at the Vigil for Lives Lost to ICE Violence. Marcia Humphreys, the primary organizer of the vigil and owner of the NoMoreICEViolence Instagram account, in partnership with College Democrats, encouraged attendees to bear witness to recent unfolding events involving ICE by providing a space for quiet remembrance, photos of the deceased, and an altar for notes and memorabilia.

Following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota involving ICE and the federal government, Humphreys said she was inspired to host a vigil honoring all lives lost to ICE violence, as she wanted to provide her community with an outlet for feelings of helplessness. 

“My goal was to help people process through their emotions that they might be feeling and know they’re not alone in feeling that, and give them ways to actually do something with that energy that they might be feeling,” Humphreys said. “A lot of people feel helpless, like they can’t do anything.”

In providing the vigil on the University’s campus, Humphreys and College Democrats were anticipating mostly Truman students and staff in attendance. To their pleasant surprise, members of the Kirksville community also made an appearance to provide a shared sense of solidarity. 

Retired Reverend Loyd Johnson, anchored with First United Methodist Church, said he attended the vigil to help create connection and understanding across communities. Though he would like to support his family in Minnesota, he chooses to stay in Kirksville to promote fostering understanding within his community.

“We have a serious and deep need to come together to connect with one another, to talk and to listen and to build relationships of trust…And with that, the formation of relationships to be involved in neighborhoods, community and our society,” Johnson said. 

While community members like Johnson said they attended the vigil to promote connection and understanding, freshman Hannah Knickerbocker said she attended out of responsibility to speak out against injustice.

“I think those who are in a place of privilege should speak out,” Knickerbocker said. “Not everyone is able to. I, myself, am in a place of privilege, so I should do my best and show support for those who cannot.” 

After the vigil, attendees were encouraged to advocate for ICE reform. “How to Help” handouts were distributed to attendees, with suggestions as follows: enforcing a no-mask policy, urging ICE to withdraw from communities, and stopping ICE funding altogether. Attendees like Johnson not only want to use these suggestions to be a “voice for justice,” but also want to guide the community to develop skills for compassion.

“I’m working with a couple of local pastors to help equip people to be listeners as well as talkers to understand the principles of peacemaking that have to face up to some real strong, demeaning, injurious, revengeful behavior, not only in federal government,” Johnson said. “We just need more people with a heart for their neighbor.”