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The New York Times on Tuesday published a list of those shot by ICE so far in 2026. Almost two dozen dead and injured. These are their names:
Joan Sebastian Guerrero • Lorenzo Salgado Araujo • Clemente Lara-Hevrnandez • Eduardo Cruz Garcia • Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez • Alex Jeffrey Pretti • William Eduardo Moran Carballo • Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis • Luis Nino-Moncada • Renee Good • Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins • Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero • Justin Bryant Nelson • Carlos Jimenez • Jose Garcia-Sorto • Carlitos Ricardo Parias • Phillip M. Brown • Marimar Martinez • Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez • Francisco Longoria • Jose Mendez-Chavez • Ruben Ray Martinez
When I wake up to the news of another death at the hands of ICE, I feel sad. Then, I am afraid for me and those close to me that look “foreign.” Walking in the shoes of targeted people is hard, and I acknowledge my privilege too. Living in the Bay Area gives me the ability to move freely and without worry of immediate violence. After all, Northern California holds a history of sanctuary cities that have long welcomed the immigrant community. In the 80’s, San Francisco was a pioneer in becoming a sanctuary for Salvadorans fleeing the civil war. The US government was giving the repressive Salvadoran government money, weapons, and military training at that time to kill its people.
Still even when feeling somewhat safe, being the pastor of an immigrant congregation has me up at night sometimes. One of my congregants told me, “Rhina, if they (ICE) come for me, there is a backpack in my room that only you should touch. It is my personal belongings, but you are the only one who can have access to it.” This is a lot of trust, and also a lot of responsibility. Having to take care of his backpack is the last thing I would like to do. That would mean something bad happened to this beloved member of my community. Jesus asked Peter: “Peter, do you love me,” and Peter responded, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep,” and after the back and forth with Jesus and Peter, the emphasis is “take care of my sheep.” We Christians must care for each other, that is the command: to love one another as God has loved us. The charge is clear. It is up to us to keep each other safe.
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by Rev. Rhina Ramos