Baylor Students Created Art Based on Local ICE Data

Students used immigration detention data from McLennan County to construct an installation titled Belonging.

Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Immigration

Baylor Students Created Art Based on Local ICE Data

Live Poll

Do art projects that visualize immigration data help communities better understand local impacts?

Students at Baylor University have developed an art installation titled Belonging that visualizes ICE detention data from McLennan County. The project translates detention figures into a display of flowers and a musical composition.

Why it matters

The installation seeks to humanize statistical trends regarding immigration detention by representing individuals through artistic mediums. It offers a community-focused perspective on local data from 2023 to 2025.

The installation incorporates detention data spanning the 2023-2025 period in McLennan County. It features three distinct color-coded sections that represent the categories of family, friends, and community.

The players

Baylor University

A private Christian university located in Waco that hosted the student project.

The details

Students in the Art as Civic Practice class at Baylor University created the piece, which maps the duration of detention stays to the pitch of musical notes. The installation has been exhibited in both Waco and Washington D.C.

The ICE detention data used for the art piece was collected between 2023 and 2025.

Political Context

This project demonstrates how the Art as Civic Practice pedagogical framework encourages students to translate complex institutional data into public-facing projects. It follows the pattern set by this framework by utilizing student-led creative work to address local civic issues.

The art installation provides residents with a non-traditional way to engage with localized immigration data from McLennan County. It encourages community members in Waco to consider the human elements behind institutional detention figures.

The takeaway

This project highlights how data visualization can transform abstract government records into accessible community conversations. Students and activists can implement similar methods to make complex public policy issues more tangible for local audiences.