Denver, CO – On January 7, 250 people gathered outside the GEO ICE detention facility in response to the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent. Good was observing an ICE raid in Minneapolis, one of Trump’s target cities in his campaign to escalate his deportation agenda.

Community members in Denver came together for a vigil for Good and the political prisoners ICE has taken and put in detention in Aurora. Many groups came out to support families of detained prisoners and to further demand the end of GEO contracts in Colorado.

Brandon Gehrke, a member of Aurora Unidos CSO, led the rally in chanting, “Power to the people! No one is illegal!” According to Gehrke, “Members of our community will show up in solidarity when one of us is attacked, not just to mourn the death of Renee Good but for the political prisoners behind these walls.”

The GEO detention center, which, until recently, held activist Jeanette Vizguerra, is known in Aurora for its inhumane treatment of its occupants. Observers who have been inside note a lack of sanitation across the entire building and practically inedible food for detainees. GEO has also failed to provide medicine and medical services to those inside the facility.

Members of Aurora Unidos CSO demand that GEO end its contract with ICE and stop the illegal arrest and deportation of the immigrant community.

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #AUCSO

Aurora, CO – En la mañana del 22 de diciembre, Jeanette Vizguerra, una activista de derechos de los inmigrantes detenida por ICE en marzo de este año fue liberada bajo fianza del centro de detención de ICE, administrado por la empresa GEO, en Aurora.

En la tarde del 21 de diciembre, el Comité de Servicio de los Amigos Americanos anunció que Vizguerra por fin había logrado su liberación con una fianza de $5,000 dólares, después de nueve meses de detención.

Vizguerra fue secuestrada por ICE en su lugar de trabajo el 17 de marzo sin aviso. Durante su encarcelamiento en el centro de detención de GEO, ella enfrentó amenazas constantes de deportación sin una orden válida.

Vizguerra, conocida como organizadora comunitaria local, pero también reconocida a nivel nacional por su trabajo como defensora de los derechos de los inmigrantes y santuario, fue destacadamente nombrada en la revista Time como una de las “100 personas más influyentes” en 2017. Ella es una figura constante en las protestas y eventos locales.

En los últimos nueve meses, las comunidades de Denver y Aurora organizaron vigilias semanales cada lunes por la noche afuera del centro de detención de GEO. Al menos una docena de protestas se organizaron en ambas ciudades contra la detención de Vizguerra y otros miembros de la comunidad, en las cuales varios de sus familiares hablaron. Organizaciones como Aurora Unidos CSO, el Colectivo Shoes Off, el Comité de Servicio de los Amigos Americanos, la Coalición de Derechos de los Inmigrantes de Colorado y la ACLU apoyaron consistentemente y brindaron actualizaciones sobre la lucha legal de Vizguerra y las condiciones horrendas dentro del centro de detención de GEO en Aurora.

En la tarde después de la liberación de Vizguerra, miembros de la comunidad y organizaciones se reunieron afuera del edificio de los tribunales Alfred A. Arraj en Denver para celebrar la victoria.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #DerechosDeLosInmigrantes #AUCSO

Denver, Colorado – On Saturday, December 20, Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization (AUCSO) along with 30 community members took to the streets with a car rally to participate in national day action against deportation flights. At The Denver International Airport (DIA), participants lined up in their cars, some holding signs, others with writings on their vehicles with a clear message “From the ground to the air – stop deportations everywhere!”

Right before the car caravan began, Brandon Quintanilla, organizer from AUCSO condemned Key Lime Air for “profiting off of tearing our communities apart.” He mentioned one such case, a “76-year-old man with dementia that was held in ICE custody at the Aurora GEO facility for the last four months. Earlier last week we were made aware after some investigation that he was transferred to Fort Bliss Camp detention center in El Paso, Texas, an infamous site for their human rights abuses – physical and sexual assault of detainees. ICE transported him without informing family, community members or lawyers.”

About 18 vehicles made their way to DIA’s terminals honking and chanting “No to Key Lime, no to ICE, no more deportation flights!”

Key Lime Air, based in Englewood, Colorado at Centennial Airport and a subsidiary of Denver Air Connection, has been responsible for over 275 deportation flights and transfer flights. Upon arrival at the terminals, protesters were met with a large police presence including SWAT, who blocked the protesters path and forced them onto an alternate route. Undeterred, demonstrators continued with their caravan for at least an hour, looping through the East and West terminals of DIA.

Many of the people in the public honked in support and cheered, some even joined the caravan. As the caravan did their last loop through DIA, protesters rallied at a parking lot to conclude their action.

“We will continue to hold local entities, like Key Lime Air and elected officials, accountable for their role in these flights, and are here today to continue the fight,” Yoselin Corrales, an immigrant and organizer with AUCSO stated, “Key Lime cannot continue to do business as usual – we simply will not let them. And the way we continue to do that is to organize!”

Yoselin mentioned AUCSO’s recent meeting with the Centennial Airport CEO and vice board president who “denied their involvement” with Key Lime Air operations with ICE. Yoselin also mentioned the recent win in Denver: “Last week, the Denver City Council almost unanimously voted down a contract extension with Key Lime Air! Because when we fight we win!”

The event concluded with unified chats of “Shame on you Key Lime Air, We’re not going anywhere!”

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AUCSO

Denver, CO – For the past month, organizers in Denver have been fighting a local airline on the issue of deportation flights.

On December 3, organizers from Aurora Unidos CSO, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Casa de Paz, and Immigrant Partnership Teams came together for an exploratory meeting with CEO of Centennial Airport, Mike Fronapfel, as well as Arapahoe County Commissioner and Vice President of the Airport Authority Board Jessica Campbell. The purpose of the meeting was to gather information about the nature of Centennial Airport’s relationship with Key Lime Air, share about the harmful, wide-ranging effects of deportation flights, and ask what steps can be taken to remove this company from the airport.

Key Lime Air, and subsidiary Denver Air Connection, are headquartered at Centennial Airport in Englewood, Colorado, off a major thoroughfare between East Aurora and South Denver, and, notably, within Jessica Campbell’s district.

In September and October alone, Key Lime Air operated over 275 transfer and deportation flights, which likely continued to increase in scale in November and December with funding from a $563 million contract through CSI Aviation from the Department of Homeland Security. In the meeting, it was stated that Key Lime Air is a sub-tenant of jetCenters of Colorado, a ground contractor based at the airport, and so the board “cannot just kick them out.” However, while Campbell and Fronapfel focused on the airport board’s limitations, organizers focused on finding solutions.

On the following Thursday afternoon, December 9, as planes took off and landed nearby, community organizers hosted a protest against Key Lime Air outside of the Centennial Airport. Members of Aurora Unidos CSO and Immigrant Partnership Teams encouraged Arapahoe and Douglas County residents to join them at the Airport Authority Board of Commissioners meeting to let their representatives know how the community feels about Key Lime Air’s collaboration with ICE.

“We know that this cannot be allowed to continue – not in our state, not in our home, and not while we have anything to say about it,” declared Jordyn Merritt with Immigrant Partnership Teams.

In addition to urging others to attend public comment, organizers joined together to demand an end to deportation flights, discuss the real world implications of immigrants unknowingly being torn away from community support, and to demand the return of detainee William Javier.

William Javier, a 76-year-old with dementia, was taken by ICE in August after showing up at the Centennial ICE Office under the guise of a “check-in.” He willingly showed up and went in because he believed they could help with his case, but, instead, he was immediately detained and transferred to the local for-profit prison, the GEO Detention Center in Aurora. Organizations in the community fundraised over $7000 to assist with fees for legal representation, but, as his health continued to decline in the detention center, he was moved to the medical ward, where he was then limited from outside access.

On December 9, after losing contact with him for weeks, members of Aurora Unidos CSO were informed that Javier was unknowingly transferred to Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas. Just this week, the ACLU of Texas published a damning testimony of human rights violations occurring at the facility, including medical neglect and malnutrition. Organizers are now determining next steps to get Javier back home. Despite the ruin that ICE is causing to people like Javier, Key Lime Air is happy to rake in profits from helping facilitate this harm and abuse through deportations and family separation.

After submitting public comment, organizers celebrated coming together to stand up against Key Lime Air and strategized over their next steps. On Monday, December 15, the Denver City Council will be voting on whether to expand Key Lime Air’s operational space at Denver International Airport.

“We will continue to put pressure on those who not only allow this to happen, but deny their involvement. We will continue to resist, disrupt, and expose any expansion,” said Faith Arteaga with Aurora Unidos CSO, “From DC, to Denver, to LA, immigrants are here to stay!”

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AUCSO

Denver, CO – On September 20, over 30 people gathered to picket outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Denver Field Office in response to the recent wave of summons issued by ICE. Over the past month, hundreds of immigrants across the community have received letters ordering them to appear for check-ins at this facility.

These letters, signed by Detention and Deportation Officer Joshua Nieves, have caused widespread confusion. Many included incorrect addresses, directing recipients to an empty field next to the actual ICE building. The Colorado Rapid Response Network was first alerted to these misleading summonses in late August. Several individuals received notices to appear at the ICE Processing Center in Centennial between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. on both Saturday, August 30, and Sunday, August 31. Since then, similar letters have continued to go out every weekend.

In response, a coalition of community organizations including the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, American Friends Service Committee, Aurora Unidos CSO, and Immigrant Protection Teams quickly mobilized. This group of community organizations has organized picket lines in front of the ICE field office every weekend, offering vital support to those showing up for their summons. Volunteers are on hand to provide legal resources, clarify misinformation, and inform people that they can request to reschedule their check-ins by emailing Denver.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov.

These efforts have been effective in informing directly impacted individuals about their rights and available resources, helping them avoid being caught off guard and ensuring they have time to seek legal counsel. However, organizers have confirmed that at least 11 people have been detained as a result of these notices.

Yoselin Corrales, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO, emphasized the urgency of the moment, encouraging people to organize and take action and reaffirming that “We will fight for the liberation of our people and we will win.”

This local action was also part of a national weekend of mobilization aimed at protesting a recent Supreme Court decision that effectively greenlights racial profiling during ICE operations in Southern California. The decision followed a July district court ruling that had ordered DHS to stop racially profiling during immigration stops. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with ICE, allowing roving patrols to continue.

In the context of ongoing attacks on immigrant communities including continued efforts by the Trump administration to undermine sanctuary cities, organizers remain committed to resisting these injustices through grassroots organizing, direct action and community defense.

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AUCSO #CIRC

Denver, CO – On the evening of June 27, Aurora Unidos CSO, Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC), and rank-and-file Teamsters gathered outside the Byron Rogers Federal Building to demand that charges be dropped on Los Aneles immigrant rights activist Alejandro Orellana.

On June 12, the FBI raided Orellana’s home, supposedly for handing out masks as protection against police attacking his community. Speakers at the press conference made it clear that Orellana was being targeted for being active in the immigrant rights movement and for being a public voice against police crimes in East Los Angeles.

Members of Aurora Unidos CSO and DACAC gave speeches calling for the bogus charges on Orellana to be dropped. Caleb Cobb, a Teamster, talked about Orellana’s organizing as a fellow rank-and-file worker, ending by saying, “We have a duty as union members to stand up to all attacks against workers.”

Ella Rydwell with DACAC spoke about the repression Angela Davis faced from the FBI and the international struggle for her freedom, connecting that fight to the one being waged today for Orellana. A common theme among the speakers was that protesting is not a crime and that Orellana was only looking to defend his community.

#DenverCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #FBI #AlejandroOrellana #StopFBI #CSFR #L4A #CentroCSO #DCAC #AUCSO #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Denver, CO – On Saturday, June 14, over 30,000 people took to the streets in protest against the Trump administration. The protest was organized by the Colorado Palestine Coalition and was supported by many organizations including the United States Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Aurora Unidos CSO, Denver Anti-War Action, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The march coincided with national No Kings protests across the country to condemn the Trump administration’s racist attacks. In particular, the march focused on the U.S.-Israeli genocide in Palestine and the ongoing resistance to ICE terror across the country, particularly in Los Angeles.

Jeanie Novack of Aurora Unidos CSO stated, “As Americans of Mexican immigrant origin, we have a responsibility to challenge not only the exploitation of oppressed nationalities in the U.S., but also the impacts of this country’s imperialist agenda in other parts of the world.”

In recent days, Denver has experienced large mobilizations in solidarity with the uprising against ICE in Los Angeles. Since last weekend, the people of Los Angeles have risen up against ICE and Trump’s plans for mass deportations, in many cases taking militant action to prevent ICE from carrying out arrests and other immigration enforcement.

Another focus of the march was the U.S.-backed genocide against the people of Palestine, which to date has killed more than 55,000 Palestinians. This genocide was escalated on June 13, when Israel launched air strikes against Iran, killing dozens of civilians.

“We’ve seen hundreds of thousands slaughtered. Their livelihoods ruined. Whole families wiped out without mercy,” said Hatem Teirelbar of Denver Anti-War Action, “All of this, fully sanctioned by Donald Trump. He’s authorized more aid, more bombs, and a ground invasion – a blank check for Israeli aggression!”

The protest marked the largest march in Denver since the George Floyd rebellion of 2020.

“I am sick and tired of seeing my taxes go towards starving and bombing children who haven’t had the chance to live out the breadth of their lives,” said Kacey Hicks of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, “but this is exactly why we need to get organized! If we want U.S. government aid to Israel to end and to bring an end to the continuous violence being wrought upon our most oppressed communities, we have to get involved in organizations and fight back!”

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #DAWA #AUCSO #Palestine #NoKings

Aurora, CO – On Saturday, May 24, the community came together at the GEO Detention Center to stand in solidarity with immigrants everywhere. Shouting chants like “Free Hector, free Jeanette, free them all,” the message was clear – the Aurora community stands united with all immigrants and demands an end to family separation.

The gathering was hosted by Aurora Unidos CSO, whose responded to the call for a National Week of Action organized by the Legalization for All Network.

Since Trump took office, he and his administration have escalated the attacks on Chicanos, Mexicano’s, Central Americanos and Haitian immigrants. From canceling student visas, to ending long standing programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS), the Trump administration is looking to expand the pool of Black and brown people eligible for deportation while welcoming white “refugees” from South Africa.

Ryan Stitzel, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, assessed what is happening in Aurora, “These historic upsurges in violent repression can be terrifying. Of course, that's the point: to terrorize. In fact, this isn't the first time the U.S. government has betrayed the promises it made to incoming immigrants. This isn't the first time immigrant communities have been terrorized by mass deportations, and, like every time before, this ’campaign‘ has nothing to do with immigration law and everything to do with the terror being created in the process.”

The community has seen the effects of these policies; people are afraid to go to work, afraid to send their children to school, and afraid to receive medical care.

While Colorado is not immune to attacks, it does have some of the most extensive protections in place for the immigrant community. Colorado’s legislature recently passed Senate Bill 276, which closes data privacy loopholes and ensures warrants are required for ICE presence in certain spaces, such as schools, clinics and libraries, taking away some of the teeth of federal attacks. While we can expect to see blatant disregard for these laws, the Colorado community demands transparency and accountability, and will continue to show up for immigrants like Hector Borjas Santos.

On April 23, Santos was riding his bike near his family’s home when ICE illegally arrested him, and he’s been detained at the GEO Detention Center in Aurora ever since. At the event outside the center, Santos’ wife Ari shared that “he attempted to pull out his phone to record, but police began to draw their weapons and told him that he wasn’t allowed to record them.”

Alfredo Carbajal with Aurora Unidos CSO reiterated the community’s commitment to standing with immigrants, saying, ”Hector has never committed a crime and this exposes the truth of what this government actually wants – to keep the people under control through fear and violence, to wear us down until we feel hopeless and apathetic. But we will not give up, we will keep fighting. Hasta la victoria!”

Upon completion of the protest, attendees were welcomed to join organizers in distributing Know Your Rights information in the nearby neighborhood to help keep others safer.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRightsMovement #AUCSO #FRSO #L4A

Aurora, CO – El 8 de mayo, organizadores, familiares y apoyadores de la comunidad se reunieron afuera del Centro de Procesamiento de ICE del Grupo GEO en Aurora para una conferencia de prensa donde compartieron actualizaciones sobre la audiencia de asilo de Carla Medina, realizada más temprano ese día. La conferencia de prensa, organizada por Aurora Unidos CSO y el Comité de Servicio de los Amigos Americanos (AFSC), forma parte de un movimiento creciente para liberar a los prisioneros políticos detenidos en el complejo de detención de GEO en Aurora.

Medina, una madre de dos, fue arrestada por ICE el octubre pasado mientras entregaba comida para DoorDash en la Base de Fuerza Espacial Buckley. Ella tenía un permiso de trabajo vigente y estaba en la mitad del proceso de asilo legal después de entrar a los Estados Unidos a través de la app CBP One, un sistema dirigido por el gobierno promocionado como una vía legal hacia la seguridad. Ella ahora lleva siete meses dentro del complejo de detención de GEO y no pudo obtener su libertad bajo fianza después de ser clasificada como “extranjera llegando.”

En una importante victoria legal, el asilo de Medina fue concedido. Sin embargo, el gobierno todavía tiene 30 días para apelar la decisión basándose en una cuestión pendiente – si hubo “circunstancias extraordinarias” que retrasaron su solicitud de asilo más de la fecha límite de un año.

Esta victoria es el resultado de incansable organización de base. Vigiles semanales para la organizadora comunitaria Jeanette Vizguerra, en el mismo complejo, se convirtieron en plataforma para compartir la historia de Medina y conseguir apoyo. El esposo de Madina, Pablo, quien hablaba regularmente en las vigilias, enfatizó que la presión de la comunidad tuvo un papel clave en el resultado. En menos de un mes, los apoyadores recaudaron casi $10,000 para la defensa legal de Medina.

“Esta victoria no habría sido posible sin la fuerza y el apoyo de la comunidad,” dijo Pablo, “No es solo un triunfo para Carla, es un triunfo para la comunidad. Tenemos que seguir luchando hasta que cada persona dentro de este complejo esté libre.”

El evento concluyó con una llamada a la acción y un recuerdo que la victoria de la lucha queda a lo lejos. Como proclamó Alfredo Carbajal de Aurora Unidos CSO, “Esto muestra que cuando luchamos, ganamos. Pero no termina aquí; debemos de mantener la presión y continuar exigiendo la libertad de todos que quedan detenidos.”

#AuroraCO #CO #DerechosDeInmigrantes #ICE #AUCSO #ImmigrantRights

Aurora, CO – On May 8, organizers, family members and community supporters gathered outside the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora for a press conference providing updates on Carla Medina’s asylum hearing from earlier in the day. The press conference, organized by Aurora Unidos CSO and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), is part of a growing movement to free the political prisoners held in the GEO detention facility in Aurora.

Medina, a mother of two, was arrested by ICE last October while delivering food for DoorDash at Buckley Space Force Base. She had a valid work permit and was in the middle of the legal asylum process after entering the U.S. through the CBP One app, a government run system promoted as a legal pathway to safety. She has now spent seven months inside the GEO detention facility and was unable to be released on bond after being classified as an “arriving alien.”

In a significant legal victory, Medina’s asylum was granted. However, the government still has 30 days to appeal the decision based on one remaining issue – whether there were “extraordinary circumstances” that delayed her asylum application beyond the one-year filing deadline.

This victory is the result of tireless grassroots organizing. Weekly vigils for community organizer Jeanette Vizguerra, held at the same facility, became a platform to share Medina’s story and rally support. Medina's husband, Pablo, who regularly spoke at the vigils, emphasized that community pressure played a key role in the outcome. In less than a month, supporters raised nearly $10,000 for Medina’s legal defense.

“This victory would not have been possible without the strength and support of the community,” said Pablo, “It’s not just a win for Carla, it's a win for the community. We must continue fighting until every person in this facility is free.”

The event ended with a call to action and a reminder that the fight is far from over. As Alfredo Carbajal from Aurora Unidos CSO stated, “This shows that when we fight, we win. But this doesn't end here; we must keep up the momentum and continue demanding the freedom of all those who remain detained.”

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #ICE #AUCSO

Aurora, CO – On the evening of Monday March 24, around 300 community members rallied in front of the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora, Colorado for a vigil protesting the unjust detention of community organizer Jeanette Vizguerra. It marked one week since Jeanette was abducted by ICE from her place of work without warning.

Vizguerra joined the rally over a phone call from within the detention center, and had her words translated by her daughter Luna Baez. She thanked the people for their presence in the fight and said, “I want everyone here to grow, for more people to show up every single Monday and keep in mind that there are other people in here, and that they have the same needs and wants at the end of the day. They all just want to go back to their family as well as address all the injustices that this administration has done to us. We need to see the people rise up.”

Those at the action came from different sectors of the people’s struggle and from all over Colorado. Dr. Mohamed Kuziez, a local pediatrician and member of Doctors Against Genocide who recently returned from providing medical aid to the children of Gaza said, “Jeanette is a part of this community. She has been part of this community longer than I have. But by fate or fortune, I was born in the U.S. She has contributed to this community and given back.” He went on, “Jeanette is a model of the kind of person that I love having in my community, and I'm determined to fight for her.”

Members of Aurora Unidos CSO held a banner of a red fist punching through a wall that read, “Nadie es ilegal en tierras robadas – No one is illegal on stolen land.”

Brandon Gherke, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO said, “Jeanette has been an organizer in the movement for years now, and we’ve got to stand up for people in our movement and defend our political prisoners and stand against these deportations.”

Gherke continued, “We know that coming out one time is not gonna fix the problem. We’re gonna start building campaigns to free Jeanette, consistently putting on pressure. The people make history, and that’s how we’re going to achieve freedom for Jeanette.”

Local musicians also performed at the rally. Los Mocochetes, a local Chicano Funk band, performed songs of liberation and one calling for the freeing of Vizguerra, while the crowd clapped in unison with the beat. The music could be heard echoing off the walls of the facility, loud enough for those inside to hear.

Among the musical performers was Jamie “Jonny Five” Laurie, a lead vocalist of the Flobots. Laurie joined the action to raise his voice for Vizguerra. Asked what he would say to Vizguerra if given the opportunity Laurie said, “I would say thank you for continuing to organize inside those walls.”

Laurie continued, “I have some community connection to other people who are who have cousins in there, who have other folks even from countries that don't get much attention and don't have a common language with people and so I know there's a lot of people in there that feel truly alone and to have somebody like her taking the time to organize and tell other people stories even as she's struggling with her own struggle, you know just speaks to the very best of humanity and so I would just want to thank her.”

The vigil ended with a statement from Vizguerra's daughter Luna, saying “Go ahead and spread the campaign. #JeanetteBelongsHere on any and all sorts of platforms. I just say let's keep on fighting as much as they try to go ahead and shut our voices down. They tried to shut my mom down. They fucked up. She has citizen children here. I don't shut up either.”

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #AUCSO #ICE #Vizguerra

Denver, CO – On February 25, a collaboration between the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition (CIRC) and Aurora Unidos Community Service Organization (AUCSO),helped mobilize over 300 people from across Colorado for a general assembly hearing on an anti-immigration bill, SB25-047, in the Denver state capitol building.

Before the hearing, there was a rally outside facilitated by Aurora Unidos CSO and Freedom Road Socialist Organization that included the chants of “Legalization for all,” “No raids, no fear, immigrants are welcomed here” and “When Trumps says go back, we say fight back!”

Yoselin Corrales of AUCSO said the bill would do “irreparable harm to our immigrant families, friends and neighbors. Senate Bill 47 would make it easier for local police to collaborate with federal immigration enforcement. Having police act as ICE agents erodes trust amongst immigrant neighbors and makes our communities much more unsafe.”

Corrales continued, “A lot of people believe this bill is dead on arrival, but I think we have learned that we can’t always trust our elected officials to act on behalf of the best interests of their constituents. It's important to show up today, make our voices heard, and then continue to show up to remind them that we are watching them, and that we will hold them accountable!”

Nels Pine, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, told the crowd, “At the core of this growing immigrant rights movement are Chicanos, Mexicanos and Central Americans. These communities are concentrated in and around the oppressed Chicano Nation in the Southwest and are overwhelmingly working class and most willing to fight. At the same time, we need to unite with everyone targeted by the Trump administration, from Haitians to Venezuelans. No to deportations! Que viva La Raza! Chicano power!”

In the hearing, there were testimonies from people who supported the bill and people who were against the bill. Nearly all the testimonies in support came from sheriffs, commissioners and police officers. However, these supporters of the bill were far outnumbered by the hundreds who showed up in opposition.

One mother spoke of the anxiety and terror she felt when she and her husband were “pulled over by the police and questioned whether we were legal citizens, but because we had our documents at home the police detained us for five days!” During this time, she was only able to contact her children via a telephone where they were being detained. This was just one story of dozens like it that were told.

The hearing lasted nearly seven hours, with the overwhelming majority of the testimonies opposing the bill, resulting in a 3 – 2 vote against it. As the crowd exits the capital, some people chanted, “¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!”

#DenverCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #CIRC #AUCSO