Activists in New York state joined Americans nationwide in a day of action on Saturday.
Groups protested the lives lost during encounters with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
People rallied in front of the ICE field office in Buffalo on Saturday as part of a countrywide “ICE out” campaign.
Organizers say that took place in more than 300 areas across the U.S., including Houston.
Earlier this month, ICE agents there shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican immigrant, inside his vehicle, claiming he threatened officers and rammed their vehicle. The man’s family denies those allegations.
It’s an incident that echoes another incident in Buffalo this past winter.
Nurul Amin Shah Alam, a Burmese refugee living with disabilities and blindness, disappeared after being released from Customs and Border Protection custody in February. He was found dead in the city several days later from complications caused by hypothermia and dehydration. His death was later ruled a homicide.
“It’s about bringing awareness and bringing people together,” community activist Alicia Huff said. “Say their names, share their stories, speak about them so their legacy never dies.”
At the time, Customs and Border Protection said Shah Alam asked to be released at a coffee shop and showed no signs of needing special assistance.
Local leaders say the shop was closed at the time and Shah Alam couldn’t speak English.
They also say he had no shoes or phone and the temperature outside was below freezing.
Spectrum News 1 has reached out to ICE for comment about Saturday’s demonstrations.