Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, originates in Mexican culture, and is celebrated throughout Latin America. It is a two-day holiday which reunites the living and the dead, where families create offerings to their departed loved ones. Altars are decorated with bright flowers, their favourite foods, photos of their loved ones, and there are traditions and emblems which are central to the celebrations. One image I’m sure springs to mind when you think of Day of the Dead is La Catrina – the skeletal lady who is known to be glamourous and elegant, with a floral head dressing.
It is heartbreaking to see festivities so bright and vibrant, full of joy and remembrance be darkened by so much hatred.
In San Francisco, in the Mission District, a historic Latino neighbourhood, the Día de los Muertos celebrations and nighttime precessions have always lit up the streets, as they have done throughout many neighbourhoods across the US. They have always been about community, celebration and honouring loved ones. Not only about reflection and mourning, but about joy.
However, this year a somewhat dark shadow has been cast over these festivities across the US, as many Latino communities face the fear of Trump’s agenda on mass deportation. Since January this year, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has been set with the task of a mass deportation, uprooting the lives of many immigrants who are sent to offshore detention centres, lacking the transparent and lawful process that would meet human rights requirements. It has been reported by ICE Flight Monitor that between January and September 2025, the Trump administration has conducted at least 8877 immigration enforcement flights. In September alone, flights averaged at 49 per day. This unprecedented mass deportation has spread fear across the US with the threats of families being torn apart, communities broken and lives being completely uprooted by this reign of terror.
For Latino communities, Día de los Muertos was also threatened, with many celebrations cancelled, and many not turning out to celebrate out of fear of what could happen. In a school in San Francisco, festivities for the Day of the Dead were cancelled completely, in addition to Decatur, Alabama’s annual festival, and a parade in Santa Barbara.
Many are terrified about the possibility of ICE raiding these celebrations, and it’s no surprise. No one can guarantee the safety of immigrants at times like this. It is heartbreaking to see festivities so bright and vibrant, full of joy and remembrance be darkened by so much hatred.
