Altars shine light on invisible grief of deportation

Two Detroit-area organizers, hospice social worker Theresa Beckley-Amaya and artist Julianna Sanroman Rojas, launched an initiative in December 2025 to address the often-overlooked emotional trauma experienced by Latino families affected by deportations and immigration enforcement. With assistance from approximately 30 volunteers and various local businesses, they installed 24 artistic altars throughout Southwest Detroit's public spaces to create visible, communal sites for processing what they call "disenfranchised grief. " The project draws on cultural traditions like Dia de Los Muertos to transform grief from an isolated, private experience into a collective one that validates and acknowledges the pain immigration policies inflict on communities.