Denver community shows up for the anti-ICE Centennial protesters
Centennial, CO – On Wednesday, September 9, over 40 supporters arrived to support long-time activists: Arnie Carter and Terry Burnsed, student organizer El Moss, and Yoselin Corrales, an immigrant rights organizer and co-founder of Aurora Unidos CSO. The four were arrested on July 20 outside of the ICE Field Office in Centennial, Colorado. They face state and federal charges for protesting against ICE and the mistreatment inside the GEO Group detention facility.
The public and the press were invited to come out to hear from the protesters, the legal counsel of those facing charges, and community allies. With picket signs, breakfast pastries, and beverages in tow, community members joined together in high spirits outside of the Arapahoe County Justice Center. They reminded passersby that “protesting is not a crime!” and demanding that the charges be dropped for the Centennial protesters.
Arapahoe County Sheriffs pushed participants to the outskirts of the entrance and threatened additional charges on attendees for stepping over their invisible “free speech zone” line.
“I want to be very clear why we’re here: it’s because they protested. That’s it,” said Attorney Andy McNulty before court began. During the press conference, all four of the protesters' legal representatives proudly stood by in support before ushering their clients into the courthouse, with those attending for court support following closely behind.
Protest arrests have risen drastically in the past year, with large, targeted campaigns against the Minnesota’s Righteous 39 Cities Church protesters and the Minnesota 15 in the Twin Cities, and the egregious charges against the Prairieland Protesters in Texas. There have also been smaller groups of protesters targeted, such as the seven clergy who were recently arrested in Vermont for standing up against ICE, and even four organizers who were arrested for protesting against the proposed detention center (that the GEO Group received $529 million dollars from ICE to open) in Hudson, Colorado. Anti-ICE sentiment has been steadily growing across the country, and in turn, so has political repression.
Prominent immigrant organizer Jeanette Vizguerra was present Wednesday morning and reminded the crowd of her own struggle with political repression, including her detainment in the Aurora GEO Facility for over nine months in 2025.
“It’s important that we stand together,” Vizguerra stated after the protesters returned from inside. All four of the protesters will return to court on Tuesday, October 20 at 1:30 p.m. for their next court date.
“Free speech is not a crime, and that’s why we’re standing here today – to be able to defend our movements and stand in solidarity with our siblings that have been arrested,” shared Brandon Gehrke-Quintanilla, a immigrant rights organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO.
Organizers in the community committed to continuing to show up to support activists who are being repressed, and the movements that are being targeted.