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

Aurora, CO – On the morning of December 22, Jeanette Vizguerra, an immigrant rights activist detained by ICE in March of this year, was released on bond from the GEO ICE detention facility in Aurora.

In the evening of December 21, the American Friends Service Committee announced that Vizguerra had finally won release with a $5000 bond after a nine-month detention.

Vizguerra was abducted by ICE from her workplace on March 17 without warning. Throughout her imprisonment at the GEO detention facility, she faced constant threats of deportation without a valid order.

Vizguerra, known as a local community organizer, but also recognized nationally for her work as an advocate for immigrant rights and sanctuary, was notably named one of Time magazine's “100 Most Influential People” in 2017. She is a staple at protests and local events.

In the past nine months, the communities of Denver and Aurora organized weekly vigils every Monday evening outside the GEO facility. At least a dozen protests were organized in both cities against the detention of Vizguerra and other community members, at which several of her family members spoke. Organizations like Aurora Unidos CSO, Shoes Off Collective, American Friends Service Committee, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and the ACLU consistently supported and gave updates on Vizguerra’s legal struggle and the horrid conditions inside the Aurora GEO detention facility.

In the afternoon after Vizguerra’s release, community members and organizations gathered outside the Alfred A. Arraj Courthouse in Denver to celebrate the victory.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #ICE #AuroraUnidosCSO #COIRC #Feature

Aurora, CO – On Friday, October 3, family, friends and members of the community gathered for a candlelight vigil to remember the life of Kory Dillard one year after his death. The vigil took place where Dillard was killed by officers Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin of the Aurora Police Department.

Around 50 members of the community joined the Dillard family and the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) for an evening of remembrance as members of his family shared memories and spoke of their ongoing struggle in their fight for justice.

“The meeting with the DA didn’t go as planned,” said Anna Harris, Dillard’s life-partner, “But everybody being out here is proof that Kory’s life was something to celebrate.” Earlier that day, Dillard’s family and representatives of DACAC had a meeting with 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason, in which he disclosed that he would not be pursuing criminal charges on the police that murdered Dillard.

This decision, although not surprising, was a heavy blow, but the community remains undeterred. “We will continue to come out in order to stop these corrupt cops from killing our family members,” said Ava Dillard, Kory’s mother, “Not just for me, but for all the other cousins, mothers, aunts who also had dealings with these corrupt cops.”

Police-involved killings in the district, like that of Kory Dillard, are generally investigated by the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT), a so-called independent group of investigative personnel supplied by neighboring police departments. Dillard’s case was investigated by the Westminster Police Department.

“The people who have been investigating this police department – it’s not the Aurora Police Department. It’s the Westminster Police Department. It’s the Commerce City Police Department, and Adams County Sheriff’s Department. So don’t worry, it’s not these police, it’s their colleagues one city over,” said Nels Pine of DACAC, “The same people they’d be investigating if they were on the CIRT team.”

Looking ahead, the Dillard family and DACAC will continue to file complaints and build a database of police officers and their crimes. Together, the goal will be to gain truly independent investigations into police crimes through community control of the police and the establishment of a democratically elected civilian police accountability council to replace CIRT.

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #DACAC

Aurora, CO – On Friday, October 3, the family of Kory Dillard and representatives of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) met with the 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason. The day marked one year since the death of Dillard at the hands of Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin of the Aurora Police Department, and the group specifically sought to know if the district attorney had any plans to prosecute them criminally.

The meeting was hard won and the DA only agreed to meet after a phone blast, a fax-in, and daily calls to the DA’s office by members of DACAC. The meeting was accompanied by a rally and press conference outside the office.

With every police killing in his district since he was elected, DA Mason has chosen to let the cops go free. This was met by outrage at the rally outside the office.

“To see the injustice continue by the hands of Brian Mason is not something that the youth of this city want. This is not something that the people of this city want,” said Khalid Hamu of Students for a Democratic Society, “How are we supposed to feel safe if the police can pull up in seven seconds and kill us? That’s a shame.”

The district attorney repeatedly reaffirmed that he was operating “under the law,” and that he had to only consider the perspective of the police officers. If they felt “scared for their lives,” under Colorado law, they are allowed to kill civilians. District Attorney Brian Mason made his stance clear, and, yet, others who have seen the same footage as Mason disagree.

“There’s too many discrepancies in the case itself, in the press brief, and in Brian Mason’s piss-poor excuse of a justification for Kory’s murder. Those officers broke several directives and laws before they even exited their vehicle,” said Anna Harris, member of DACAC and Dillard’s life partner.

Harris made it clear that, though Mason’s decision is apparently final, their fight for justice is just beginning, saying, “He said take it up with the APD. That’s fine. We will take it up with the APD. Then we’re going to take it up with your higher-ups. We’re going to make sure that your next campaign makes it so nobody wants to be affiliated with your vote, because you’re on our list. Shamblin’s on our list. Rodier’s on our list. And we will not stop.”

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #PoliceCrimes #DACAC

Aurora, CO – On August 19, Aurora Public School (APS) workers packed into their school's offices to demand the school board put an end to union busting and give all workers the right to organize a union.

The group of Classified Education Support Professionals (ESPs) demanding unionization includes employees like special needs paraeducators, nutrition workers, custodians and bus drivers, none of whom are currently organized. These Classified ESP workers were given a fraction of the raise that licensed staff bargained for and are demanding union recognition to fight for better wages and working conditions in line with the rest of the staff.

Classified ESP workers have been fighting for over four years for the right to join the Colorado Education Association (CEA), the largest educator union in Colorado, while enduring union-busting efforts, low pay and harassment from management in their school district.

During the meeting of the APS Board of Education, workers stood up to call out the school board's union-busting efforts, chanting “Union busting is disgusting!” during a march from the overflow room, interrupting the school board meeting. During this disruption, many school officials and several paid union busters present at the event hid their faces from the crowd.

“Their union-busting practices have been really difficult to overcome. There's a lot of fear, but with our show of solidarity today, with the number we got out today, it’s pretty clear we have the numbers to win,” said ESP worker Marceline Corvus after the event.

A group of UPS workers, members of Teamsters local 455, attended the event in solidarity. Katherine Draken, a Teamster union steward at UPS, said, “Solidarity is the backbone of the labor movement, so we have to show up for our fellow workers, even if they're not in the same union or the same industry. We're all fighting the same fight.”

#AuroraCO #CO #Labor #Teachers #Educators #Teamsters #CEA #IBT455

Aurora, CO – On August 16, the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) and community supporters gathered at Firehouse Station 2 for an all-ages community fair. The event called “FUNd the Fight,” raised funds for the Dillard family, who has been facing financial hardship while simultaneously fighting for justice for Kory Dillard.

Members from local organizations like Denver Alliance for Street Health Response (DASHR) and Denver Freedom Road Socialist Organization showed up to support the Dillard family’s fight.

To those who knew him, Kory Dillard was a father, a friend, and a drone enthusiast. Ryan Stitzel, chair of DACAC, said, “This family, they've lost a breadwinner. They're suffering some of the most unimaginable horrors that they can suffer as a family, and all because of the Aurora Police Department.”

On October 3, 2024, Kory Dillard was shot and killed by APD after an unverified 911 call reported a “violent carjacking.” Video obtained by DACAC shows Dillard defending himself from a shirtless assailant that followed him home and attempted to hit him on the head with a large rock.

Later in the video Dillard can be seen having retrieved an airsoft rifle to brandish and scare the assailant away. Aurora police officers Kevin Rhodier and Ryan Shamblin then arrive on scene, exit their vehicle, and in just seven and a half seconds shoot and kill Kory Dillard.

Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain claims that the airsoft rifle “looks exactly the same as an authentic AR-15.” While the APD believes this justifies Dillard’s death, there are inconsistencies with the bodycam footage and 911 call which tells a different story. Meanwhile, the original 911 caller that brought police to the scene was in fact the assailant himself.

Kory Dillard’s right to self-defense, a fair trial and his right to bear arms under the Second Amendment were all violated the moment that two white APD officers made the decision to end Dillard’s life.

Almost 11 months later, Dillard’s family is still reeling and working with community support to continue the fight. A fundraiser by the DACAC’s “FUNd the Fight” brought the community together for an afternoon of poetry, music, and activities. Activities included carnival games for prizes, temporary tattoos, water guns, a bake sale, and a piñata with 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason’s face on it.

Mason has recently disclosed to the Dillard family his intention of letting the cops who killed Kory off the hook, having only answered the officers’ actions with paid leave so far. DA Mason has the power to charge APD officers for their crimes but has not done so.

Miles Thompson, a member of DACAC, said, “I was brought to tears earlier in the day during the poetry section of the event.” He continued, “I was brought to tears because not only did I see myself in each person that was mentioned, but I saw centuries of the fight for Black liberation personified. Kory Dillard, like the others, did not ask to be martyred. We should choose to remember them not just in their final moments before death, but the years of life that they shared touching the lives of others in their families, friend circles and communities.”

In a time of struggle, there was plenty of fun to go around. DACAC was able to raise almost $800 for the Dillard family, with the hope of raising more in the coming months. Jeff McFarland, another DACAC member, said of the event, “I think it was a great testament to everyone's creativity and tenacity, and I really think it demonstrated what we're capable of as a group.”

The fight for one is a fight for all, and DACAC will not stop its fight until there is justice for Kory Dillard and all other victims of police violence. To support the Dillard family, readers are encouraged to visit DACAC.net and donate to the Dillard family’s fight or consider becoming a monthly supporter of DACAC’s work.

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PoliceBrutality #KillerCops #DACAC #NAARPR

Aurora, CO – On July 7, over 500 community members gathered in a powerful show of solidarity outside the Aurora GEO Detention Facility, demanding the immediate release of Jeanette Vizguerra and all political prisoners.

For the past three months, community members have held weekly Monday vigils for Vizguerra , who has been unjustly detained at the GEO facility for her political organizing. Over 20 organizations have joined this growing movement, culminating in the July 7 day of action. With slogans like “Free Jeanette now” and “Oversight now,” protesters demanded immediate accountability for the reported human rights abuses occurring within the privately run detention center.

Although federal law allows congressional delegates to perform unannounced inspections of immigration detention facilities, in practice, these inspections rarely happen. Despite repeated calls to action, congressional Representatives Jason Crow, Brittany Pettersen and Diana DeGette did not respond to community demands to visit the GEO facility or join the rally. In contrast, other officials, including Senator John Hickenlooper’s office and some local city and state representatives, did acknowledge the call for oversight.

Further anger came after new ICE guidance issued on June 19 now requires congressional offices to provide at least 24 hours’ notice before visiting detention centers, a move that contradicts federal law and further restricts transparency.

In the absence of action from elected congressional members, the July 7 rally highlighted the necessity of grassroots power. Organizers mobilized attendees to join the Colorado Rapid Response Network, equipping them to respond to ICE raids. Many also signed up to accompany undocumented individuals to immigration court, a direct response to recent incidents where ICE has detained people outside courtrooms.

A key moment of the day’s action came as protesters blocked inbound and outbound traffic to the Aurora GEO facility, picketing at its gates in an act of civil disobedience. The demonstration sent a clear message that the community will not stand by while their neighbors are detained and abused in secrecy.

July 7 was a milestone in the growing movement for immigrant rights in Colorado. By organizing as a coalition in action, building new support networks, and refusing to accept political inaction, the coalition made strides forward. As Jeanette Vizguerra, speaking by the phone from inside during the rally, stated, “This fight will grow every day.”

The action was led by a broad coalition, including Aurora Unidos CSO, Shoes Off Collective, American Friends Service Committee, Housekeys Action Network Denver, Students for a Democratic Society, and Casa De Paz. The event included local artists and performers, with performances from several bands, including Denver’s own Flobots.

As the Monday vigils continue and more community members get involved, the call for justice for Jeanette Vizguerra and for all those suffering inside detention centers grows louder.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Feature

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 Saturday, May 17, a dozen community members gathered in front of the Aurora Police Department Headquarters for an emergency rally to protest the killing of another Black man by the APD, and the subsequent cover-up that is still unfolding.

It was on May 12, Monday evening, that the APD received calls about a “suspicious person” wandering a private Park-and-Ride near the Denver International Airport.

The chief of APD, Todd Chamberlain, claims that the man was tased after refusing commands and starting a fight with the officer who was first on the scene. The victim has not been publicly identified, and Chamberlain’s retelling of events leaves one with more questions than answers.

“APD shoots to kill then hides the proof! We demand to see the truth!” was printed on fliers advertising the rally and echoed in protesters’ chants toward the APD headquarters. The Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organized the event with the Denver Alliance for Street Health Response (DASHR) and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

Anna Harris, a member of DACAC and the partner of Kory Dillard, a Black veteran and father who was killed by the APD last October, spoke out against the lack of information released by the department saying, “If these killings are justified, why lie? Why hide the truth? Why bury the videos?” Harris continued, “Let me be clear, Aurora has a police brutality crisis, and if our elected leaders won’t name it, I will. There are dangerous people with badges walking our streets, terrorizing our communities, and it’s time to put it to an end.”

Organizers with DACAC spoke about how many of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA) requests they were submitting were being refused, delayed and given the runaround.

Tristen Hurst, a leader in DACAC said, “We have laws like CORA and CCJRA because Coloradans demand accountability, but let’s be clear; APD treats these laws like a joke.” Hurst also said, “Records about the brutalization of Te’Erica Mosley, a woman brave enough to film the APD’s crimes are being lost in bureaucratic limbo to keep the truth hidden. The family of Kory Dillard were quoted more than $9000 just to receive the full body camera footage of his killing – $9000 to grieve in peace. Shame!”

One demand in particular rang out repetitively at the action in the form of a chant, “Free the footage now!” APD has stymied the release of footage around their killings repeatedly over the course of the last year, working in the meantime to create narratives in the press that attempt to justify their violations of the constitutional rights to due process.

Nels Pine, another leader in DACAC spoke, saying, “These cops have another thing coming if they think their brutality is going to stop this. These actions of theirs will just light a fire under the people and the people will fan the flames and come back with a fight back. Pine continued, saying, “What might seem like a smaller action here today is in fact a spark. It’s a spark taking place on dry prairie grass.”

One of the groups present, DASHR, has been at the forefront of fighting for and winning alternatives to police response. In Denver, after the 2020 George Floyd protests, they won the establishment of the Support Team Assisted Response (STAR) Program, which responds to calls related to mental health distress, poverty, homelessness, and substance misuse, among other needs. A similar program in Aurora was also established called the Aurora Mobile Response Team. Vinnie Cervantes, one of the founders of DASHR explained, “As soon as they hired city personnel to run that program, they kicked us out.”

Cervantes went on saying, “This city continues to be violent towards our community, but also continues to show resentment towards people that want more out of their public officials, out of their police department, and out of their city government.” Cervantes continued, “Too often police harm our communities. They hurt our community. They destroy our community, and they refuse to have any level of accountability in doing so. They will not change as a system or as a department unless they’re afraid of what we’ll do in response.”

The fight against police crime in Denver and Aurora has faced challenges and attempts by those in power to dismantle community alternatives. It is clear those in the fight are not slowing down.

Khalid Hamu, a member of the FRSO, said, “We need to extend the democracy that was promised to the people in this country so that Black people get to determine who gets to patrol their neighborhoods, how much money they’re given, and who gets to be on the police force.” Hamu continued, “Let us continue the struggle of the Black Panthers, because we do not forget them. Let us continue the struggle of all those who have been killed in the Black Liberation struggle. We say community control of the police now!”

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #PoliceBrutality #FRSO #DACAC

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 April 30, a call-in was organized to place pressure on Colorado’s 17th Judicial District Attorney Brian Mason to charge and convict the police responsible for two acts of racist police violence that happened last year.

The murder of Kory Dillard and the brutalization of Te’Erica Mosely, both at the hands of the police, led to members of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) organizing the action.

Demands raised by the community were two-pronged. DACAC demanded that the officers responsible for the death of Kory Dillard, Kevin Rodier and Ryan Shamblin be criminally investigated and charged and that the charges placed on Te’Erica Mosely for recording violent police activity be dropped. This is not the first time these demands have been raised to DA Mason.

Leading up to the event, DACAC and the families of the victims sent letters, faxes and phone calls to both of the district attorney’s offices. They heard back from Mason only after planning and advertising for the call-in began. Though Mason has finally agreed to meet with Dillard’s family, the date and time for this appointment has yet to be established.

Regardless of the agreement to meet, DACAC continued with the call-in, as, historically, Mason’s interests have aligned more closely with those of the police than those of the community. The family hopes to utilize the meeting to put more pressure on Mason regarding criminal charges against police.

Anna Harris, Kory Dillard’s partner and a member of DACAC, said, “The call-in made me feel hopeful. It was nice having some of our community stand with Kory. I hope this community pressure will have the DA keep his promise to meet with us and hopefully get justice for Kory’s murder.”

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PoliceBrutality #KillerCops #DACAC

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

Aurora CO – On March 17, at 11 p.m., a growing crowd of around 40 community members gathered outside the GEO Group ICE Processing Center in Aurora for a vigil to protest the unjust detention of Jeanette Vizguerra. Among those present are activists, a news crew, indigenous people burning sacred herbs, and the family members of Vizguerra.

Vizguerra is an undocumented community organizer and has long been a champion of people’s freedom. Her consistent support of people’s struggles has led a variety of supporters to come to her aid, and protest ICE and its attempts to tear her away from her family.

Alfredo Carbajal, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO described the vigil, saying, “It was very somber, obviously the family was having a rough go of it, not knowing whether she’s doing okay. It seemed very sad, but they were grateful to have folks show up in support.”

Vizguerra was abducted by ICE from her place of work without warning. ICE appears to be ready to deport her, even though the agency does not have a valid deportation order. Though her attorneys have raised these violations of law, ICE ripped her from her family and the community.

Vizguerra was taken to the GEO Group ICE Processing Center, an ICE prison located in Aurora, Colorado at 3130 Oakland Street. The GEO Group facility has been the subject of multiple large protests over the last few months, with families of those being held there reporting that their loved ones are being “treated like animals,” and subjected to solitary confinement.

One participant in the vigil was Daranee Teng, an educator by trade and an organizer with Shoes Off Collective, an Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community organization. Tang stated, “I’ve worked for many years on the North Side of Denver with undocumented students, and I remember in 2013 when ICE came after Jeanette, and I remember in 2017 when she took sanctuary in churches.” Tang continued, “I know there are folks that don’t like that she speaks out, but I think that’s what we need more of.”

Those gathered in front of the GEO Group building kept watch over the possible exits where Vizguerra could be taken, wary that she might be transported in the dead of night and disappeared to another facility or deported. Organizing into shifts to watch the gates through the night and into the next day, the community is preparing to stand firm.

ICE and the Aurora Police Department have worked together in open violation of Colorado law. According to the Colorado ACLU, “State law additionally prohibits depriving a person of their liberty on the basis of a suspected civil immigration violation in the absence of a warrant signed by a judge.”

Vizguerra is an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian struggle for liberation and does not hesitate to oppose the U.S. war machine. It is clear that the illegal detention of Jeanette Vizguerra is politically motivated, as she has long been a resident of Colorado, living and working here but also participating in the people’s struggle for freedom from oppression.

Vizguerra’s family and community are concerned for her safety inside the GEO Detention Center. They are demanding that ICE reestablish communication between Vizguerra and her family, so that they can know she’s safe.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantsRights #CSO #ShoesOffCollective #Feature

Aurora CO – On March 1, during an unseasonably warm Saturday, family members of Kory Dillard and 15 of their supporters gathered outside of the Aurora Municipal Center, for a rally against police crimes.

Dillard, described by attendees as a beloved community member and veteran, was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3, 2024.

Dillard is survived by his partner Anna Harris, who has been spending the last five months fighting for accountability and justice for Kory. She spoke to the crowd about the false narratives being spread about Dillard by APD Chief Todd Chamberlain, who characterizes Kory as a rock-wielding carjacker. Video evidence of Dillard’s death directly contradicts this false narrative, but Chamberlain evidently seeks to sweep Dillard’s murder under the rug.

“What are these wrongful deaths of Black men,” Harris asked, “but police being the judge, the jury, and the executioner, when the death penalty has been long gone in Colorado?”

The rally was a site of shared grief by another family who has lost loved ones at the hands of APD – the Lewis family.

Kiawa Lewis, the brother of Kilyn Lewis, stood amongst the attendees alongside his daughter. Kilyn was a 37-year-old unarmed Black man who was gunned down by Officer Michael Dieck while working on his car’s sound system just outside his Aurora apartment.

Standing alongside Harris, Lewis spoke, saying, “It's been a tiring road, but the thing is they want to tire us out. But we stand together; we fight together.”

Ryan Stitzel, the chair of Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) took to the megaphone to address District Attorney Amy Padden, saying, “These police historically have not been held accountable when they've done this. When they killed Kilyn Lewis they were not held accountable. When they killed 14-year-old Jor‘Dell Richardson when they pinned him down in an alley and shot him behind a dumpster they were not held accountable, and right now the District Attorney for Arapahoe County is deciding whether or not she's going to hold these killer cops accountable and we're here to say: you must!“

The participants of the rally chanted “Black lives matter!” and “When killer cops are on patrol, how do we stop them? Community control.”

Nels Pine, another member of DACAC, addressed the rally, stating “They write all these horrific lies in the newspaper about Kory Dillard, about Jor’Dell Richardson, where they accuse them of all sorts of crimes. Well, the people accused of those crimes aren't alive to defend themselves against this slander, and so we'll speak the truth. That's the very least we could do, is speak the truth and say that they were never found guilty of anything!”

Pine continued, “They were murdered in the street by police officers who robbed them of their Sixth Amendment right to a trial by a jury of their peers. These crimes by the APD have got to stop.”

The Denver Aurora Community Action Committee ended the rally by reiterating their demands on District Attorney Amy Padden, and reaffirming their commitment to the fight against racist police violence and for community control of the police.

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #KillerCops #NAARPR #DACAC

Aurora, CO – On February 8, around 50 community members gathered outside Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado, to protest the base’s collaboration with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the detention of immigrants.

Organized by Aurora Unidos CSO and Denver Anti-War Action, the protest was part of a larger national week of action by the Legalization for All Network.

Protesters voiced their opposition to the role the base would play in the Trump administration's plans for mass deportations. Yoselin Corrales, an organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO, said, “Today, we are here to fight against recent discussions to potentially detain and imprison our neighbors on the Buckley Space Force Base.”

The protest comes in the wake of a controversial announcement in late January, wherein the U.S. Military’s Northern Command revealed plans to make facilities at Buckley Space Force Base available to ICE to set up processing and staging areas for detained immigrants at the request of the Department of Homeland Security.

Speakers at the rally emphasized the strength of the community coming together to fight, with Brandon Gehrke, another organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO, addressing the crowd, “We keep us safe – not ICE, not the military, not those who seek to use fear to control us. When we stand together, we are stronger than any force that tries to break us. Together, we will demand legalization for all. and put an end to these harmful and inhumane operations.”

Jason Crow, congressman for Colorado’s 6th District, recently reported that the base has agreed to only use the base for staging and logistics for now, but this is likely only temporary. The scale of deportation being discussed by the Trump administration’s “Operation Aurora” requires expansions of ICE’s detention capacity. Currently, Aurora has a processing center that holds around 1500 people, operated by GEO Group, a private for-profit prison corporation.

Aurora Unidos CSO pledges to stand opposed to the expansion of ICE’s capacity to detain people and calls on all people to actively hinder the ability of the Trump administration to carry out their racist and reactionary agenda.

As the protest ended, many of those who attended expressed their commitment to continuing the fight for immigrant rights. The rally at Buckley Space Force Base is proof to lawmakers and the military that the community will not stand by while the government targets immigrants, and that efforts for legalization and justice will continue.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #SpaceForce #CSO #CSOAU #DAWA

Aurora, CO – On Saturday, January 25, approximately 1000 protesters gathered at Fletcher Plaza in Aurora, Colorado to march against Donald Trump’s threats of mass deportation.

Aurora is one of the most diverse cities in Colorado, with roughly 20% of its residents being immigrants. In addition to this, Aurora also has a high population of Chicanos and African Americans. Protest organizers say that Trump’s targeting of Aurora is in line with his racist, reactionary policies.

“We've all heard Trump's rhetoric: the xenophobia, the racism, the misogyny, the transphobia, and the absolute loathing he has for oppressed people the world over,” said Kat Draken of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The protest was endorsed by dozens of different organizations representing workers, students, immigrants, and others.

Students for a Democratic Society spoke to Trump’s plan to gut the Department of Education. “We demand university administrators defy Trump's attacks on students and education. We also demand administrators do not hand over sensitive information about trans or immigrant students” said Khalid Hamu, a leader in SDS and one of the primary organizers of the Palestine solidarity encampment on Auraria Campus last spring. “No compliance with Trump is the only acceptable option for administrators. All students have a right to an education that is meaningful and accessible to them, one that meets their academic and cultural needs.”

After speeches from several more organizations, including the Aurora Education Association and the Colorado Immigrants Rights Coalition, protesters marched through the streets chanting “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido” and “When immigrants rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” The march route went through the surrounding neighborhood of Delmar Parkway, a working-class neighborhood home to many immigrant families. Along the way, many neighbors showed support for the march by raising their fists or joining in the chants.

Once returning to Fletcher Plaza, protesters pledged to continue the fight against Trump’s agenda, particularly his extreme anti-immigrant policies.

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #Trump #Feature

Aurora, CO – On January 18, despite the cold and snowy weather, the Denver Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) and community members gathered outside the Aurora Police Department headquarters to demand transparency and justice.

In the past few years, the Aurora Police Department (APD) has killed at least three unarmed Black men – Jordell Richardson, Kilyn Lewis, and Kory Dillard – and has brutalized dozens of other community members, such as Te’Erica Mosle, who was recording police harassing an unarmed Black man, only to be assaulted herself by the police.

APD has a history of racist police violence and terrorizing community members, and yet, DACAC members say, there has not been accountability or justice. The previous district attorney, John Kellner, has refused to press charges, claiming that the police have been justified in their actions. They have refused to release the full unedited footage of any of the incidents mentioned, and in some cases have demanded expensive fees for the information and footage.

DACAC and community members picketed outside of the APD headquarters shouting “Transparency, transparency! Free the footage, let us see!” and “When killer cops are on patrol, what do we need? Community control!” DACAC and members of the community demand that APD release full unedited body cam footage.

Tristen McFarland, a member of DACAC said in her speech at the picket, “We are not here with suggestions; we are here with demands, and, until our demands are met, we will be back. Over these past few years, each of the officers that have pulled the trigger has had a case brought to District Attorney John Kellner’s desk, and each case subsequently dropped. To date each of them has been put back on their full shift, gun back in their hands, their boots back onto our streets. We demand you hold the officers accountable, make all the body cam footage immediately available to the public free of charge, regardless of case status, and instate community control over the police.”

Khalid Hamu, a member of Denver Students for a Democratic Society, spoke about how, after Trump was elected in 2016, many people in the Latino community, “felt like no one cared about them, and that's really messed up. When you see ICE working with APD, they can't even follow the laws that this racist system puts on them! If they aren't even following those laws, how can we expect Latino people to not be scared?” Hamu then quoted Frank Chapman, chair of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stating “Our oppression is not our fault, but to fight back is our responsibility – It’s our responsibility to make sure those things change, and we need as many people as possible to make this change a reality! If we don't do anything, then who is going to do it?”

Paul Nelson, a member of DACAC, highlighted the Aurora Police “denying every legal request we made of them to reveal their actions, but each request we give to get the body cam footage they have is illegally denied. They claim some farcical defense of this, in that they’re ‘conducting an investigation,’ but like with the case of Elijah McClain, we see in the conclusion of all of it that they let the murderers off scot-free. So are we going to wait years while they prepare to do just that? No, we’re not going to wait, we’re holding them to account!”

Nelson added, “People can pass what's called a citizen initiative in Aurora, where it doesn't matter what our racist city council thinks; the citizens of Aurora can get together and pass the citizens’ initiative and vote on it. No more cops policing cops. No more police officers finding themselves to be innocent of all charges. This police department needs to be put in check by the people and a Civilian Police Accountability Council!”

The picket concluded with the community chanting “Power to the people!”

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #NAARPR #PoliceCrimes #CommunityControlOfPolice

Palmer explained, “About 1 p.m. I was cooking in my apartment, and I saw a silhouette walk by my window and heard a knock at the door. I opened the door, asking ‘Hi, can I help you?’”

“The man asked my first and last name, and I said ‘Yes?’, then he showed a bronze badge around his neck and said they were the FBI. The FBI agent then asked if I could speak to them, and I said ‘No, do you have a warrant?’”

“The FBI agent said ‘no,’ and said he wanted to talk about threats and potential danger that groups I am a part of are facing currently. He said something about the FBI wants to offer resources for my protection and for those of the group’s members.”

“I then said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you today, thank you.’ And the FBI agent responded, ‘Okay….’” Palmer then shut the door and locked it.

When asked if they felt intimidated, Jonce Palmer answered, “Activists in the FRSO have taught me from their previous experiences how to respond to the FBI knock at the door. I knew not to talk or answer questions. I am glad I was prepared and knew my rights.”

When asked about advice for others, Palmer said, “The only thing I would do different, is to ask for a card so our lawyer could follow up.”

The next day, Denver lawyer Mark Burton called the FBI office asking the FBI to leave his client alone. Burton is also writing a letter to the FBI to also ask them about the specific threat the FBI agents are claiming Palmer and activist groups face.

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #FBI

Aurora, CO – On November 17, around 40 members of the Aurora community gathered in front of Aurora Police Headquarters to hold a candlelight vigil in remembrance of Kory Dillard and to speak out against the system that unjustly ended his life.

Dillard, a valued member of the Aurora community, was murdered by the Aurora Police Department (APD) on October 3. His family was denied their right to view the body cam footage for over a month.

The mood was somber as family members, friends and organizers took their candles. In the month between Dillard's death and vigil, activists and his family have been fighting a wave of disinformation propagated by the police. APD has tried to paint Dillard as a long-time criminal instead of the caring, self-proclaimed nerd that his community knew him to be. A conversation with any of his friends and family quickly dispelled any of the falsehoods that the APD would have one believe.

Dillard’s character is not the only thing that Aurora police have been caught lying about. After his family was finally allowed to review the body cam footage, they found that the police also lied about the manner of death. Initially, police had claimed Dillard pointed a weapon at them, but the footage revealed that Dillard was shot in the back as he attempted to enter his home.

Police Chief Todd Chamberlain claimed there was a hospital and school in this neighborhood, in his effort to try and justify the quick use of lethal force – but the school he was speaking about has been closed for two years and Dillard was not threatening the hospital in any way.

Ava, Dillard's mother, was the first to speak. She had driven all the way from Baltimore to review the footage and attend the vigil. About her son, she said he “was loved and shared the love he had by spreading compassion and an undeniable spirit of humor” She asked the question all in attendance had: “Why?” Why couldn’t the police follow their own de-escalation procedures? Why was this department, which took a white mass shooter alive after he had killed 12 people and injured 80 more at a movie theater, not able to use those same measures for her son?

Others, such as Kory Dillard’s long-time partner, Anna Harris, spoke of his love of flying drones, and how he would teach the kids in his neighborhood to fly. They spoke of the many creations he made with his 3D printer, and how his generous spirit was always sharing his interests with others. “Kory was a huge part of this community,” said Harris, “He’s so much more than the police make him out to be.”

Members of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee and Students for a Democratic Society also spoke. They spoke about how APD is 3.9 times more likely to use lethal force on Black men than any other demographic, how SDS successfully fought back against the militarization of their campus police, and how working in organizations with others wins bigger gains than making demands on your own. They also laid out a number of demands including full, unedited body cam footage released to the public; firing and arresting the cops who killed Kory Dillard, and Civilian Police Accountability Councils.

“We need a citizen-run council, independent of the police department, that has the power to investigate and fire corrupt police officers,” said one activist from DACAC

Despite the many state information requests submitted by organizers and family, the two officers involved still hide in complete anonymity and the full, unedited body cam footage has yet to be released to the public.

Further, Erica Dillard, Kory's sister, saw on the news that, immediately after the vigil, both officers have been taken off leave and are back on full duty. The family was not informed by Aurora Police Department in any way.

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #DACAC #SDS