The Nov. 2 gathering will honor people who died in ICE custody and during federal immigration enforcement operations. The location will be shared only with confirmed attendees because of safety concerns.
By Hola Iowa
DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice (Iowa MMJ) will hold a Día de Muertos vigil in Des Moines on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m., to remember people who died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and those the organization says were fatally shot by ICE or U.S. Border Patrol agents.
The gathering will take place at Iowa MMJ’s offices. The organization will share the address only with people who confirm their attendance, citing serious safety concerns.
The vigil is intended for Iowa MMJ community members. Journalists have also been invited to document the gathering and interview staff and participants. The organization has not announced general walk-in admission.
Des Moines vigil joins national Día de Muertos actions
The Des Moines gathering is part of national Día de Muertos remembrance and advocacy activities scheduled from October 31 through November 2. Communities across the United States will hold vigils, create memorial altars and organize other activities honoring people who died in immigration detention and during federal enforcement operations.
Participating advocacy organizations are also calling on Congress to change immigration enforcement policies, redirect ICE funding and close immigration detention centers.
The national effort includes Detention Watch Network, the End the ICE Age Campaign, The Workers Circle and other advocacy groups.
Deaths in ICE custody are a focus of the vigil
The event comes amid continued scrutiny of deaths in federal immigration detention facilities.
An October 24 report by The Guardian identified the death of a Salvadoran man at a Georgia detention facility as the 60th death in ICE custody since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second administration in January 2025.
That count refers to deaths among people in ICE custody, including those who died in detention facilities or nearby hospitals while remaining in federal custody. Fatal shootings and other deaths associated with enforcement operations are a separate category.
Iowa MMJ has also documented immigration enforcement activity within the state. Its 2026 report on ICE activity in Iowa examines arrests, detention, deportations and cooperation between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities, using publicly available data.
Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice is a statewide organization that provides immigration legal services, community organizing and advocacy led by immigrant and refugee communities.
Vigil location available only to confirmed attendees
The organization has not publicly disclosed the office address where the Nov. 2 vigil will take place. Community members and journalists seeking attendance information can contact Iowa MMJ through its official website.
The vigil is separate from the public Día de Muertos celebration scheduled for Nov. 2 at Des Moines Central Library, presented in partnership with Latinx Immigrants of Iowa. That event is included in Hola Iowa’s 2026 Día de Muertos events guide.
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