Since March 2024 , Voces Unidas has been documenting civil rights complaints involving the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. In the past 12 months, a disturbing pattern has emerged: being in Garfield County custody leads to ICE custody. 10 cases. 1 pattern. In nine of the 10 documented cases, a person was arrested on state charges, posted bond or was ordered released by a judge, and yet never walked out of the jail. Under Colorado law, posting bond is not a technicality. Stat

As our community is aware, last month in Eagle County, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained nine Latino community members during a series of fake traffic stops. A tenth person was detained as he was walking to a bus stop. After the detentions, family members discovered ace of spades cards — commonly known as “death cards” — left inside at least two abandoned vehicles. “We are outraged by how ICE carried out these detentions in Eagle County,” said Alex Sán

Immigrant families across Colorado’s Western Slope are facing a disturbing rise in immigration enforcement activity, including fake traffic stops, racial profiling, intimidation tactics, and detentions carried out without judicial warrants. Because Voces Unidas also provides emergency immigration legal aid in rural communities, these trends are not abstract. Families contact Voces Unidas when a loved one is detained, when a worker disappears on the way to a job site, or when

This week, Voces Unidas formally delivered demands to Colorado’s entire congressional delegation following the death of Delvin Francisco Rodriguez while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On February 2, 2026, Voces Unidas and 23 other Colorado organizations called for immediate transparency and accountability from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. See list of organizations below. Delvin was detained by ICE in Summit County in Septe

TO OUR COMMUNITY IN EAGLE COUNTY, Last week was difficult. ICE was active in our communities. At least nine people were detained, and ICE agents were seen near restaurants and hotels. The fear was real because what happened was real. From our office in Avon, we were answering calls as this unfolded. Family members called looking for loved ones. Workers and managers — Latino and non-Latino — called after seeing ICE with their own eyes outside their workplaces. Everyone was re

Delvin Francisco Rodriguez was detained by ICE on Colorado’s Western Slope in September and died in December after he was transported to a detention center there. His family wants answers.

This week in Eagle County, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crossed a clear and dangerous line. After detaining 10 Latino community members, ICE agents left ace of spades cards—widely known as the “death card”—inside the abandoned vehicles. The cards, later found by family members, clearly identify ICE’s Denver Field Office. Card found by family The ace of spades has a long history as a tool of intimidation , from psychological warfare during the Vietnam War to its a

Blog was updated to reflect that at least 10 people were detained in Eagle County on January 21, 2026. Voces Unidas has confirmed that in early morning of Wednesday, January 21, 2026, ICE agents carried out a series of fake traffic stops on Highway 6 near Exit 171 (Minturn exit). ICE agents stopped four vehicles as those individuals were heading to work. These fake traffic stops resulted in the detention of eight community members. Another person was detained later that morni

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a country still grappling with the injustices he fought to dismantle. Racism remains deeply embedded in American life. Inequality continues to shape who is protected and who is targeted across immigration, policing, housing, education, and economic opportunity. These outcomes are not accidental. They are the result of decisions that consistently elevate some while denying dignity and security to others. Immigrants are once again b

As a Mexican-American who oversees an immigrant-led civil rights organization in rural Colorado, I see every day the impact of foreign policy in our communities. Much of our work is done for those who are here because of instability that the United States has helped exacerbate. So I will state this plainly from a position of experience: A unilateral U.S. invasion and occupation of Venezuela is reckless, illegal under international law and guaranteed to intensify human sufferi

In multiple cases, families say their loved one was ordered released or posted bond — but never walked out of the Garfield County Jail. Instead they were detained by ICE.

We knew 2025 would be difficult. And we can expect to face continued adversity in 2026. Yet, as we push forward to a future of unknown challenges, I feel compelled to pause and marvel at the resilience and generosity of this community – and to do so with deep hope and gratitude. With your support, Voces Unidas continues to make monumental strides in our transformational work to create a more equitable Colorado for all. From our home in the Western Slope to the Capitol Buildin

The new year brings a new legislative session in Colorado, and when the 2026 General Assembly convenes at the State Capitol in January, Voces Unidas will be there promoting policy solution important to rural Latino communities, as we have since 2021. The challenges currently facing rural Latinos require us to build on prior work and focus on strengthening protections for immigrants and working families across the state. While we will take positions on many proposed bills over

Voces Unidas Action Fund exists to build real political power so our rural communities can win on the issues that shape everyday life. That power doesn’t come from statements or promises. It comes from electing better leaders and holding them accountable once they’re in office. The 2025 election cycle showed what’s possible when we invest in local races. Across the Western Slope and mountain region, voters elected school board members who are focused on results, not distracti

This past election, voters elected seven of the eight school board candidates endorsed by Voces Unidas Action Fund. Those leaders have now taken the oath of office and stepped into roles that carry enormous responsibility. They inherit school systems where Latino students continue to face deep, persistent achievement gaps compared to their white peers. Their mandate from our community is clear: move from rhetoric to results and transform our school districts into places where

A federal court in California has issued a nationwide ruling that restores access to bond hearings for thousands of immigrants who entered the country without inspection and were not detained at the border. These are people the federal government has been holding without any opportunity to request release on bond. In the recent Maldonado Bautista decision, the court rejected the federal government’s policy and the Board of Immigration Appeals’ earlier framework known as Mat

A federal judge in Colorado has ruled that ICE cannot rely on blanket assumptions to justify warrantless arrests in our state. Under the decision, ICE officers must show probable cause of an immigration violation and provide specific evidence that the person is a flight risk before detaining someone without a warrant. The ruling responds to what many families have described for months: detentions carried out with little explanation and no individualized review. The court mad

The Colorado Latino Agenda (Voces Unidas and COLOR) and UnidosUS today released findings on where Latino voters stand one year ahead of the 2026 mid-term elections. Among Colorado latinos, there is continued economic anxiety and rising concern around immigration and law enforcement actions taking place across the country. Notably, 72% of respondents believe the nation is headed in the wrong direction.   The survey is part of the national  “Bipartisan Poll of Hispanic Voters

Voces Unidas Action Fund is proud to announce and congratulate the winners we endorsed for Western Slope school board seats in Tuesday’s elections. We saw major wins across multiple school districts, with seven out of our eight endorsed candidates winning their races — a clear signal that voters across the Western Slope are rejecting political extremism and demanding leadership focused on kids and families. The most profound victories were seen in the Mesa County Valley Schoo

Voces Unidas joined UnidosUS , the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in a virtual national press conference today to release new findings from The Bipartisan Poll of Hispanic Voters: The Road to 2026 , the most comprehensive national survey of Latino voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections. Conducted by BSP Research and Shaw & Company Research, the bipartisan poll surveyed 3,000 registered Latino voters with oversamples in Arizona, Californi