Altars shine light on invisible grief of deportation

Earlier this month, approximately 30 local community members, friends and strangers came together to bring Altars for Collective Grief to life, a series of art installations inspired by the idea of creating a communal space to honor the grief experienced by the Latino community due to the impact of deportations and ongoing immigration issues.

The project was started in December 2025 by hospice social worker Theresa Beckley-Amaya along with co-founder and artist Julianna Sanroman Rojas. With support from small businesses and local organizations, volunteers were able to collect supplies and install 24 altars throughout parks, restaurants and other local businesses across Southwest Detroit.

Grief is most often talked about in the general terms of death, but that isn’t where the conversation ends. Disenfranchised grief, like that associated with deportation, is rarely spoken about or given the same care as grief associated with death. As a result, it often leaves people feeling ashamed, isolated, and confused on how to deal with it.

“You are used to having a family member around and all of a sudden that family member is no longer physically here,” Beckley-Amaya says. “You’re absolutely going through a grieving process.”

Grieving is typically understood as a private experience that you deal with alone, but practices such as Dia de Los Muertos show that it doesn’t have to be.

“You realize how much of that isn’t personal grief,” says Sanroman Rojas. “This work isn’t just about me, these issues aren’t just mine alone.”

The idea of an altar is not just specific to the Latino community. Similar practices exist across cultures worldwide. These traditions display the benefits of collective healing through the support of one’s community. For the project’s co-creators, it was crucial that grief related to deportation and immigration be brought to light in a visual, tangible way. 

Beckley-Amaya explains: “That’s why we have funerals, memorials, right? Vigils. So that is kind of where the idea for the altar came from for collective grief, because it was not only a very visual thing that you can see as you’re driving or walking through the community, you can see these up and know that someone is there acknowledging the pain and the suffering that you’re going through.” She added, “even if you don’t have a family member that’s deported, (they could be) just living in fear of it”.

With immigration issues at the forefront under the Trump administration, the need for community support is now more pressing than ever. The altars are more than just the physical structures themselves, but about giving many people who feel hopeless the agency to do something to be connected and feel validated in their grief. 

“There is so much out of our day-to-day control when it comes down to these immigration issues and these fears,” Sanroman Rojas said.“ So when you can switch the narrative a bit, it was beautiful to see.”

Beckley-Amaya and Sanroman Rojas hope to continue this project with the help of volunteers and plan to do another installation closer to the spring. They aim not only to expand their reach throughout Detroit, but also to other cities across Michigan as the project grows. 

Those interested in supporting the project and their mission can volunteer for the spring installation by signing up on their website or donating altar supplies at the Vamonos! drop box. Businesses interested in having an altar of their own can reach out through the email listed on the project’s website.

Organizations that helped with supplies and other collaborations include Vamonos! (gathering space), Motor City Street Dance Academy (candles and supplies), Garage Cultural (tape/supplies), Calavera Rose (altar items), Sanos Southwest (altar items) and Team Gabriela Santiago-Romero (vases). 

Luciana Vega is a photojournalist with a background in healthcare and a deep love for the culture and community of Southwest Detroit. Passionate about its vibrant music scene, she aims to capture and share the stories of its people through photography. 

This article and photos were made possible thanks to a generous grant to EL CENTRAL Hispanic News by Press Forward, the national movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news. Learn more at www.pressforward.news.