Witness cannot
be erased
Lives forever changed
by immigration enforcement.
TAKEN HERE is a mission-driven, independent community remembrance project founded by Andrea after witnessing an immigration enforcement operation on her own street in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Through public markers, TAKEN HERE creates visible places of witness and remembrance for families, neighbors, and communities forever changed by immigration enforcement.
Founder and Creator
Meet Andrea
I’m Andrea, and I created TAKEN HERE after witnessing an immigration enforcement operation unfold on my own street in Saint Paul. What began as one act of witness has grown into a community remembrance project dedicated to honoring lives forever changed by immigration enforcement. I developed the concept for the marker and collaborated with a graphic designer to bring the design to life, and built this website myself. I’m also a 1990 graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), where I developed a design foundation that continues to guide my work today.
Each marker is professionally manufactured in the United States, then personally prepared and shipped by me. Every purchase helps support the production, packaging, shipping, and the continued work of TAKEN HERE. In addition, 10% of net proceeds support the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. Transparency matters. As TAKEN HERE grows, updates about donations to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota will be shared here.
Before creating TAKEN HERE, I organized a GoFundME that raised $15,114 from 204 donors to help Andrés and his family rebuild their lives. The generosity of those 204 donors reinforced my belief in the power of ordinary people choosing not to look away —and helped inspire TAKEN HERE.
I chose the forget-me-not flower because it has long symbolized remembrance. Its visible roots represent the families, neighbors, and communities that remain connected— even after someone is taken from their place within them.
For all the lives upended—
the taken, the witness,
and everyone in between.
A marker.
A visible marker that someone was taken from their place in the community.
A public act.
A way to say: this happened here. And it matters.
A refusal to forget.
Because every life deserves to be remembered.
How will you bear witness?
Whether you have a front yard, an apartment window, or want to help someone else, there’s a way to participate.
🌿 Yard Marker
A public act of witness and remembrance.
🪟Window Display
A quiet act of witness for homes, apartments, schools, and community spaces.
📍Place One. Fund One.
A shared act — one for you, one for someone else.
He was working.
He was taken.
Capitol & Valley St. — St. Paul, Minnesota.