In the days leading up to Election Day, November 3, hundreds of voters have placed their “I Voted” stickers on memorials dedicated to people murdered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Their message is clear: they voted blue, and they voted against the Trump administration.
This Election Day marks the first nationwide general election since President Donald Trump began his second presidential term in 2025. In the nearly two years since, Trump’s immigration crackdowns across the country have splintered countless families, left children begging for help from inside detention centers, and often proved fatal. ICE officials have shot and killed several people in the street, and at least 31 people died in ICE custody this year alone.
For many voters who hit the polls early and are lining up to cast their ballot today, candidates’ positions on immigration are crucial deciding factors. At the roadside memorial honoring Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old man who was fatally shot by ICE in Houston in July, dozens of Harris County “I Voted” stickers affirm his memory. Elsewhere, messages reading, “We make America great,” “I voted for you,” and “You didn’t deserve this,” sprawl across a wooden board.
