Latest news with #ColoradoImmigrantRightsCoalition
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Crowds gather for immigrant rights protest at Colorado Capitol; crowd control gas used
DENVER (KDVR) — Hundreds of people marched through downtown Denver Tuesday evening, calling for an end to immigration enforcement raids and announcing solidarity with demonstrators in Los Angeles. The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition was asking people to mobilize, to stand with protesters in Los Angeles. Marchers gathered on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol before winding their way to pause outside the federal courthouse. ICE protestors march to Aurora ICE detention facility in solidarity with LA deportations Marchers chanted, carried signs, and temporarily blocked traffic as they made their way through the city's core. The Colorado State Patrol issued an advisory at about 9 p.m., warning motorists and pedestrians that there are large crowds and possibly unlawful road closures. 'It's not just happening in Los Angeles,' said Alfonso, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation Denver. 'It's happening across the country, it's happening here, so people are coming out and showing they are willing to defend their rights.' On Tuesday afternoon, the Denver Police Department told FOX31 it was aware of the protest and that 'safety is the top priority.' At about 8 p.m., FOX31 saw Denver police begin to deploy crowd control gas. Early Tuesday evening, there was a crowd of people lining the sidewalks outside the Capitol holding anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement posters. Vehicles were honking horns as they drove by. 'If they choose to keep attacking people's rights, there's going to be a response,' Alfonso added. 'ICE should be mindful of the fact that they can't get away with their behavior.' Amy Beck with Together Denver echoed that message. 'We would like ICE to leave our immigrant community alone,' Beck said. 'Get out of Denver, that would be the main message. We don't need them here—they are messing with our economy, they are terrorizing our community, and we don't want them here.' This is the second anti-ICE protest in Colorado in two days. In a press release, the group said, 'People are not backing down.' National Guard troops are now protecting ICE agents as they make arrests in Los Angeles The group said it wanted to show support for the people in California protesting against immigrant raids there. Organizers said the protest is just the beginning, with more actions planned in the coming weeks. Their goal is to push Colorado lawmakers to cut ties with ICE and to pass policies they say would better protect immigrant families. The Department of Homeland Security has said in social media posts that the protests in L.A. were 'not a peaceful protest.' DHS also said that what was happening in LA is a 'violent riot' and that 'order will be restored.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Demonstrators rally at Colorado Capitol in second day of anti-ICE protests
Demonstrators rally at the Colorado Capitol against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement policies, on June 10, 2025. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline) For the second day in a row, Coloradans protested against the mass deportation campaign being carried out by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents across the country and an escalating military crackdown by President Donald Trump's administration on anti-ICE demonstrators in Los Angeles. A crowd of more than 1,000 people Tuesday evening gathered on the lawn of the Colorado Capitol and along Lincoln Street near Civic Center Park in Denver for an emergency 'ICE Out' rally organized by the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. 'We are here right now because our neighbors are being attacked left and right,' Nayda Benitez, an advocate with CIRC, told the crowd. 'I'm a proud immigrant. I could not be here without my mom, without my family.' Shortly after 6 p.m., an overflow crowd chanting and bearing signs with anti-ICE slogans blocked an intersection at Lincoln and 14th streets. Denver police appeared to shut down several streets near the Capitol. Much of the crowd then marched south from the Capitol, largely shutting down traffic at Lincoln Street and Broadway. Denver police continued to shut down multiple intersections near the demonstrators but did not engage protesters or order them to disperse. 'No fear, no hate, no ICE in our state,' the crowd chanted. 'Come back for music afterward, people,' a proprietor at a bar and lounge on Broadway shouted to the crowd as it passed. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'This is more than a protest. It's a call to defend our future,' Raquel Lane-Arellano, communications manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, said in a press release. 'The Trump administration is trying to turn our government into a weapon—unleashing the military on immigrants, workers, and anyone who won't bow to their agenda.' The demonstration followed a march on Monday to the gates of the ICE detention center in Aurora, where a daily average of more than 1,100 people are detained as they await deportation or other immigration proceedings. Trump has ordered a detachment of 700 U.S. Marines and thousands of federalized National Guard troops to deploy to L.A. over the objections of state and local leaders, the first such move by a U.S. president since 1965. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has sued to block the deployments, which he said 'crossed a red line.' Trump on Monday suggested Newsom, whom he did not accuse of any crime, should be arrested. Tensions have risen in Denver, L.A. and other cities around the country in recent weeks following a series of moves by the Trump administration to expand its mass deportation efforts. In his second term, Trump has vowed to deport all of the estimated 12.2 million people living in the country without permanent legal status. ICE agents have begun arresting individuals and families outside federal immigration courts, reversing a longstanding policy that avoided such arrests so as not to deter immigrants from going through lawful court proceedings. A series of high-profile raids at restaurants and other workplaces have followed in the wake of Trump adviser Stephen Miller reportedly pressuring the agency to broaden the scope of its enforcement operations. 'Why aren't you at Home Depot? Why aren't you at 7-Eleven?' Miller asked ICE leaders on May 20, according to the Washington Examiner. The Trump administration on Saturday spuriously described recent ICE operations in L.A. as targeting 'the worst of the worst,' a claim belied by the agency's raids of a downtown clothing wholesaler and a Home Depot in an L.A. suburb, both of which drew protests and led to the initial clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement this weekend. Federal agents in tactical gear shot tear gas and flash-bang grenades and arrested dozens of protesters they accused of obstructing the operations, including union leader David Huerta, who was charged by federal prosecutors Monday with a felony count of conspiracy to impede an officer. The share of people in ICE detention with no criminal record had risen to nearly 25% as of June 1, a sharp uptick from 6% in January, according to the American Immigration Council. This is a developing story and will be updated. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Officials detain immigration activist who sheltered in church in 2017
Jeanette Vizguerra, a Colorado advocate for immigrants who sheltered in a church for months in 2017, was detained by officials on Monday, local advocates said. The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition demanded the immediate release of Vizguerra after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained her at her workplace. 'Jeanette is a pilar of the community and has supported countless families,' the organization said in a statement. 'ICE had no reason to detain her—this cruel and unnecessary action is causing irreparable harm to her family and community.' The group said it was clear Vizguerra was targeted for her criticism of deportation and her advocacy for the immigrant community. 'ICE's actions raise serious due process concerns, and her attorneys are working to correct the legal errors behind her detention,' the organization said. During President Trump's first term, Vizguerra lived in a church in Colorado for 86 days to take sanctuary from immigration agents. Her stay of removal was granted by ICE. She immigrated to Colorado in 1997 after her husband was held at gunpoint in Mexico City. She has four children, one of whom is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient and the other three are U.S. citizens. Vizguerra was featured in Time's 100 most influential people list in 2017 and said she would continue her activism work. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston addressed Vizguerra's detainment on Tuesday, slamming it as a 'Putin-style persecution.' 'This is not immigration enforcement. This is a Soviet-style political persecution of political dissidents under the guise of immigration enforcement,' he said. 'This is not someone with a criminal record. This is a mom of American citizens who works at Target and has started a community nonprofit.' 'This is not something that makes our community safer,' Johnston said, pointing to the Trump administration's crackdown on migrant crime. 'In my mind, I think it makes our community lawless.' Jardon Garcia, a family friend of Vizguerra's, told The Washington Post that Vizguerra had been in touch with her children and is 'doing okay.' She knew she would be a target of the new Trump administration and had kept a relatively low profile in recent years as she continued to navigate her own legal process, Garcia said. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) called on the Trump administration to show transparency Vizguerra's detainment, noting that she has no history of violence and is not a threat to the community. He said the state had not been notified of Vizguerra's arrest and wants ICE to focus on detaining violent offenders. He noted that various arrests have an impact on taxpayer dollars and Vizguerra deserves due process. The Hill has reached out to the White House and the Denver field office of ICE. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
19-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Officials detain immigration activist who sheltered in church in 2017
Jeanette Vizguerra, a Colorado advocate for immigrants who sheltered in a church for months in 2017, was detained by officials on Monday, local advocates said. The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition demanded the immediate release of Vizguerra after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained her at her workplace. 'Jeanette is a pilar of the community and has supported countless families,' the organization said in a statement. 'ICE had no reason to detain her—this cruel and unnecessary action is causing irreparable harm to her family and community.' The group said it was clear Vizguerra was targeted for her criticism of deportation and her advocacy for the immigrant community. 'ICE's actions raise serious due process concerns, and her attorneys are working to correct the legal errors behind her detention,' the organization said. During President Trump's first term, Vizguerra lived in a church in Colorado for 86 days to take sanctuary from immigration agents. Her stay of removal was granted by ICE. She immigrated to Colorado in 1997 after her husband was held at gunpoint in Mexico City. She has four children, one of whom is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient and the other three are U.S. citizens. Vizguerra was featured in Time's 100 most influential people list in 2017 and said she would continue her activism work. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston addressed Vizguerra's detainment on Tuesday, slamming it as a 'Putin-style persecution.' 'This is not immigration enforcement. This is a Soviet-style political persecution of political dissidents under the guise of immigration enforcement,' he said. 'This is not someone with a criminal record. This is a mom of American citizens who works at Target and has started a community nonprofit.' 'This is not something that makes our community safer,' Johnston said, pointing to the Trump administration's crackdown on migrant crime. 'In my mind, I think it makes our community lawless.' Jardon Garcia, a family friend of Vizguerra's, told The Washington Post that Vizguerra had been in touch with her children and is 'doing okay.' She knew she would be a target of the new Trump administration and had kept a relatively low profile in recent years as she continued to navigate her own legal process, Garcia said. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) called on the Trump administration to show transparency Vizguerra's detainment, noting that she has no history of violence and is not a threat to the community. He said the state had not been notified of Vizguerra's arrest and wants ICE to focus on detaining violent offenders. He noted that various arrests have an impact on taxpayer dollars and Vizguerra deserves due process. The Hill has reached out to the White House and the Denver field office of ICE.
