Centennial, CO – At 8 a.m. on Monday, July 20, organizers and community members from across the Denver Metro area joined together for a protest at the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Denver Field Office in Centennial, Colorado.

The protesters come together for a die-in scheduled by the Shut Down GEO Coalition to highlight detained immigrants' demands for freedom, humane conditions, and to end all contracts with GEO Group, the operators of a for-profit detention facility in Aurora, Colorado. GEO Group was also recently awarded over $528 million dollars to open up a shuttered correctional facility in Hudson, Colorado.

The rally began with speeches from organizers and family members of immigrants who have been impacted by the racist and brutal deportation system. Speakers touched on the longstanding history of medical neglect, insufficient and unsafe food, low wages, guard and staff abuse, and, most recently, a confirmed case of tuberculosis within the Aurora GEO facility.

Despite pressure from medical professionals, legal advocates and the local community, the GEO Group has still not met the demand for compliance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for contact tracing and a full health investigation. While GEO Group delays crucial investigations and treatment, they could ultimately be subjecting the entire city and state to unnecessary health risks.

After the speeches, protesters staged a die-in where they laid down on the ground in front of the ERO office, representing the lives stolen by ICE and private prison contractors GEO Group and CoreCivic.

While attendees were lying on the ground, listening to recordings of testimonials from families of those in detention, a group of protesters stood off to the side holding a large banner that read, “Dignity not detention, end deportations.”

Five Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers approached this group of organizers and called in additional officers for back up. Eventually, two officers returned to attempt to pull the banner away from protesters but failed. When the DHS officers were unsuccessful in threatening protesters to retreat, they called in the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, which brought less-lethal crowd control weapons.

Arapahoe County sheriffs pushed the group of protesters forward and into the public street, where they eventually targeted four protesters who were then pulled from the group, handcuffed, and detained for around two hours within the ICE facility under Arapahoe County and ICE supervision before being released with state and federal citations.

Upon the protesters’ exit, the remaining crowd was chanting for each organizer's release. The organizers arrested included longtime organizers in the community Arnie Carter and Terry Burnsed, as well as Yoselin Corrales, an immigrant rights organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO.

After taking a moment to regroup, Corrales addressed the crowd, stating, “It’s far past the time to send a strongly-worded email, we need to show up and be willing to put more on the line for those facing injustice in our community!”

#CentennialCO #CO #AuroraCO #ImmigrantRights #ICE #Featured

AURORA, CO – Protesters in Aurora, Colorado gathered outside of an ICE detention facility operated by GEO Group on Sunday morning, July 19. They rallied to raise a number of demands regarding conditions in the detention center, the recent ICE murders of Joan Sebastian-Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and acts of repression against anti-ICE protesters Including Nadia Topete and 21-year-old Emma Landis, who was shot by a GEO Group employee after attending a protest outside the facility earlier in the week. Over 80 people attended the event where they heard speakers from various movements in the city and participated in chants against ICE’s continued attacks on their communities.

“We are gathered here today to demand justice for all victims of ICE’s violent terror across America,” said Miles Thompson, an emcee for the event and chair of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC). “We’re also here to say that protesting is not a crime! Hands off Nadia Topete!” DACAC called this event in conjunction with Aurora Unidos CSO as part of a national week of action for Nadia Topete called by the Legalization For All Network.

Topete, an immigrants rights activist in Los Angeles, has been a target of FBI repression in recent weeks. In addition to ending the harassment against Topete and her fellow activists, organizers across the country have used this week of action to call for justice in the cases of Joan Sebastian-Guerrero and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo who were murdered by ICE agents during separate incidents in the last month. The event was supported by other local organizations, including the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The Aurora ICE detention center, specifically, has made national news twice this week. The first was on July 16, when the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) announced that it had confirmed at least one case of tuberculosis inside the facility. While GEO Group denies any tuberculosis, community members detained inside claim at least a dozen cases have been identified. Tuberculosis is a preventable and treatable lung infection that can be contagious and deadly if not properly handled. In a facility already notorious for medical neglect, the community is concerned for the safety of those inside.

Yoselin Corrales, a Honduran immigrant and organizer with Aurora Unidos CSO said, “Our group has been working with immigrants inside to help document medical neglect, guard mistreatment, food insecurity, and the abuse of detention center staff for over a year now. Frankly, it was only a matter of time before something happened like what we’re seeing now.”

GEO Group, the private prison corporation that operates the Aurora ICE detention facility, was given until Friday, July 17 to submit to CDPHE inspection and turn over medical records to the state regarding tuberculosis. As of the writing of this article, GEO Group is completely refusing to comply with this investigation. Just last week, this for-profit corporation was awarded a half-billion dollar contract to open a new ICE detention center in rural Hudson, Colorado. This facility would almost double the number of people ICE could detain in the state and reduce visibility for these detentions by moving them far outside of the urban areas where Coloradans mostly live.

The news of the potential tuberculosis outbreak led to multiple protests against ICE and GEO Group this week but one, in particular, resulted in another national headline.

On Thursday, July 16, after a protest disbanded, a GEO group employee shot a woman in the foot while she was leaving the area. Emma Landis, the woman who was shot, was able to attend Sunday’s event where she expressed gratitude for her fellow activists and solidarity with those detained inside the facility. “It’s really nice to see my community come together in support of this and all I can say is ‘let’s keep doing this!’” She added, “ I don’t want to be a trend, I want to be an advocate for these people because they don’t deserve this at all. Nobody deserves this at all.”

The call to continue to fight and organize was common among all of the people who spoke. “We’re not here to write a strongly-worded letter or ask you to send an email,” proclaimed Corrales, “we’re here to commit to continuing to show up until the people inside these walls are free, and those who have contributed to this violent system are punished! Don’t do the enemy’s work for them and back down before the battle, join an organization and become part of a fighting force!”

#AuroraCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #ICE #DetentionCenter

Aurora, CO – On Monday, June 8, the Aurora City Council voted on Resolution 2-68 to create the new “Public Safety Accountability Office.” The office will investigate incidents involving public departments, including the police. It is supposed to have unrestricted access to department records, release its findings to the public, and assign a family contact when someone is seriously injured or killed.

This office is a response to years of work by Aurora residents to see changes in the police department. After the 2019 police killing of Elijah McClain, people took to the streets demanding justice. The protests and public outrage forced the state to put the Aurora Police Department under a court-ordered consent decree. The state found patterns of racism and excessive use of force in APD’s policing. This required APD to review their policies and procedures and be transparent with information.

However, even under this court order, APD has continued to shoot and kill Black people. Jor’Dell Richardson, Kilyn Lewis, Kory Dillard, Rashaud Johnson, Avi-Belle Mason and Rajon Belt-Stubblefield were all murdered by officers while the consent decree was active. It has done nothing to change the racist and violent policing in Aurora.

The people have continued to demand more through protests and city council meetings and those efforts won this reform. The community still demands more and has many criticisms of this new office.

This new office can only make recommendations on disciplinary actions or suggest policy changes. It lacks any power to enforce changes.

Cassandra Heil, a member of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee, spoke on this issue. She stated, “So what’s the point of this Public Safety Accountability office if it can’t hold cops accountable? It can document problems, write reports, and make recommendations, but it cannot stop police misconduct from happening again. If neither the community nor the office has the power to create change, then this bill cannot actually deliver accountability.”

Heil’s continued, “The PSA office will only engage with the community twice a year. That is not meaningful community engagement.”

MiDian Shofner, founder of the Epitome of Black Excellence stated, “The community engagement feels very thin.”

The bill passed unanimously, including far-right pro-cop councilmembers who have opposed changes to policing in the past. Critics have pointed to this unanimous vote as evidence the bill lacks any meaningful change.

#AuroraCO #CO #InJusticeSystem #DACAC

Aurora, CO – Aurora, Colorado, a large and multinational suburb of Denver, has a well-documented problem with racist policing. From the murders of Kory Dillard and Kilyn Lewis to the torture and murder of Elijah McClain, Aurora Police seem to always be in the news for racism, violence and corruption.

After McClain’s killing in 2019, the Colorado attorney general investigated the Aurora Police Department. He found that they were guilty of “patterns and practices” of racist policing and excessive force going back decades. Despite this investigation and the resulting consent decree, APD’s racist terror has continued.

APD has gone through many police chiefs through the years. Many resigned or were fired in disgrace. The current police chief, Todd Chamberlain, is the seventh since 2019. Instead of addressing the issues that create APD’s culture of racist violence, he’s doubled down on them.

“This corrupt, racist police chief, Todd Chamberlain, covers for horrible cops,” said Cassandra Heil, a member of the Denver-Aurora Community Action Committee (DACAC) at a June 8 meeting of city council. “He needs to be fired!”

At the beginning of the year, a new, supposedly more progressive, city council took office. Since then, DACAC and others in the community have campaigned for Todd Chamberlain’s firing, along with democratic oversight of APD.

Chamberlain began his policing career in 1984 in Los Angeles. His time as an officer included years when the LAPD was regularly making national news for violence against Black and Chicano residents. As a captain, racial harassment and sexual abuse among officers in Chamberlain’s charge became so widespread that he was forced to transfer to an entirely different precinct. He was even specifically named as someone who deliberately ignored the racist harassment of an officer under his command in a 2013 lawsuit that paid out $1.2 million dollars.

Had Chamberlain’s appointment been subject to public scrutiny, these stains on his record would have come to light long before he became Aurora’s police chief. Unfortunately, Chamberlain was appointed through a completely undemocratic process under the direction of a far-right city council without any community input whatsoever. These MAGA city council members purposely appointed a chief that shared their far-right, racist agenda.

One of Chamberlain’s first acts as chief – setting up an APD recruitment table at a Trump rally – clearly shows this. It’s further evidenced by Chamberlain’s repeated cover-ups of racist police murders, including the killings of Kory Dillard, Rajon Belt-Stubblefield and Rashaud Johnson. He’s even gone on record excusing the APD murder of a child because the child was undergoing a gender transition.

LaRonda Jones, mother of Kilyn Lewis, stated, “We are tired of systems that ask us to trust them while they repeatedly fail us. We are tired of hearing that ‘justice takes time,’ when injustice happens overnight.” Jones has been attending city council meetings since her son was murdered by Aurora SWAT in May of 2024. “We are demanding that the value of a Black life be recognized not only in words, but in action.”

Small concessions from city council, like the new, unfortunately toothless, police accountability office, have been won by Ms. Jones and the community activists that fight alongside her. Community consensus, however, seems to be that more needs to be done. “Why isn’t it a crime for police to shoot an Aurora resident?” asked activist Alejandra Marinela. “People are dead, mothers and children are grieving while the Aurora city government actively ignores them.”

You can learn more about DACAC, the “Time’s up Todd!” campaign, and how you can get involved at dacac.net/times-up-todd

#AuroraCO #CO #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities

Englewood, CO – On June 6, jetCenters of Colorado held a fundraiser at Centennial Airport, one of their three aviation operations along the Front Range. jetCenters, which provides aeronautical services such as fueling and aircraft rental and maintenance, holds a sublease with Key Lime Air, an airline that, according to government data and flight trackers, runs detainee flights for ICE.

The Aurora Unidos CSO (AUCSO), which helped organize the week of action, views the airline as “profiting off of human suffering.”

The jetCenters fundraiser had hundreds of attendees and even had the Denver Broncos mascot make an appearance. Other sponsors of the fundraiser included Modern Aviation, Boom Supersonic and Signature Aviation.

Organizers and activists from AUCSO, Bread and Roses Legal Center, Denver People’s March, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Immigrant Partnership Team (IPT), and Jewish Voice for Peace partnered together for a demonstration in resistance to the continued collaboration between jetCenters and Key Lime Air. The action comes as the conclusion to a week of action against deportation flights in Colorado. Protesters’ speeches condemned jetCenters, Key Lime Air and the deportation flights.

“Key Lime Air CEO Cliff Honeycutt has repeatedly ignored calls to even acknowledge his company’s profiting from human suffering, trying to hide behind a thin shield of respectability and trying to dismiss any outcry to his profiting off of cruelty as simply ‘politics,’” said Jordyn Merritt from IPT, “But it is not just a political statement to say that Key Lime Air makes money off of acts of cruelty; it is a fact, corroborated by human rights organizations and flight trackers across the nation.”

According to Katherine Draken of FRSO, who shared public data with the crowd, “Key Lime Air is confirmed under contract with CSI Aviation, one of the largest federal contractors for ICE flights. They have a $563 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security, and Key Lime Air is responsible for up to 11% of ICE’s deportation [flights].” Draken urged the audience to stand in solidarity with immigrants in the wake of the recent victory in Connecticut against Avelo Airlines’ $150 million contract with ICE.

Yoselin Corrales of AUCSO reminded the crowd of the inappropriate use of funds and how this movement is for all people, stating, “Our tax dollars could be funding education, housing, food accessibility, healthcare, and yet we are seeing it used to perpetuate the suffering of the community that we grew up in, were raised in, and are a part of. We see our family, our neighbors, and our friends being terrorized on a regular basis and we say no more!”

Two days after the protest, Denver City Council voted to pass an ordinance that could potentially be used to kick air carriers that operate deportation flights out of Denver International Airport. While AUCSO considers the ordinance to be a minor victory, they also say that the fight is far from over, and they urge the community to get involved in any way they can.

#EngelwoodCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #KeyLimeAir #Deportations #ICE #AuroraCO #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

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 o