Refuse Fascism LA | The Disappeared Banner

The Disappeared is a multidisciplinary art project that examines the human cost of immigration enforcement in the United States. This section of the project, a collection of posters, represents individuals who were taken by ICE agents and detained without due process in facilities across the country. Many were deported to other countries without legal recourse or a pathway to reunite with their families. Others remain unaccounted for, having disappeared into a system with little transparency or accountability.

The poster series reflects only a fraction of the family members, neighbors, friends, and community members who have gone missing under these circumstances. Each image was originally published by news organizations or featured on crowdfunding platforms, portraying individuals whose stories speak to broader social, political, and humanitarian crises.

This section of The Disappeared was developed in collaboration with Refuse Fascism LA, whose organizing work
and guiding principle: “In the Name of Humanity, We Refuse to Accept a Fascist America”  informed the spirit of this project.

Concept and Art Direction: Pauline Mateos-Contreras
In collaboration with Refuse Fascism LA

Graphic artist Pauline Mateos holds a photo of Moises Sotelo against a backdrop of an installation with the names and faces of people who have been detained or deported during the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations at Olvera Street in Los Angeles on July 3, 2025. The installation, designed by Pauline Mateos, is part of a protest by Refuse Fascism against the people who have been abducted in ICE raids.”
Los Angeles Times photo by: Genaro Molina

Pro bono publico work for RefuseFascism.org
©Pauline Mateos / Refuse Fascism

Press Coverage:
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON POST
LOS ANGELES TIMES
LA OPINION