Senior Garfield County law enforcement officials, acting in their official capacities and using government email accounts, circulated degrading comments about State Rep. Elizabeth Velasco and mocked Latino community members who sought clarification about reported Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Glenwood Springs, according to public records  on the City of Glenwood Springs’ website. On June 19, 2025, Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario circulated a photo

Entrepreneur. Brother. Son. Husband. Hard worker who loves soccer and plays it well. Those are all words family members would use to describe 29-year-old Juan Carlos Membreño Portillo.  But when ICE agents picked up Juan Carlos in Glenwood Springs this week, they described him as a criminal, and a gang member.  It’s not true, the family says. Now Juan Carlos is fighting his detention, hoping to not get sent back to El Salvador, where he fled threats from gang members, organiz

Before he was detained, “Martin” worked long hours, played weekend soccer, sometimes coaching, and was building a steady life for his family in rural Colorado. He had plans for the year ahead. He did not expect a routine morning commute to change everything. When he was picked up by ICE following what he believed was a routine traffic stop, he was immediately transported across the state to the detention center in Aurora.  He faced uncertainty, depression, and his health qui

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

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

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

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

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

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 events in Durango this week have had a profound impact on Colorado, particularly on the Western Slope. A normal school morning became a nightmare for the Jaramillo Patiño family. Early Monday, immigration officers pulled over a father driving his 15-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter to school and misidentified him as someone else. Instead of correcting the error and letting the children get to class, federal agents arrested and detained the dad and both kids. Agents

Among the many lessons public education offers are those that come not from textbooks, but from sharing the classroom with peers from every walk of life. One lesson, often learned slowly, is that we all live our own reality. Despite appearances, not everyone’s circumstances are the same. Sharing the same hallways, classrooms and cafeterias with the same students day after day, year after year, it’s easy to assume everyone’s experience is similar. We’re all “Rams,” or “Demons”

County Commissioners in Garfield and Mesa counties recently sent letters urging the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to move forward with more than 300 new oil and gas leases across Colorado—covering over 13,000 acres in Garfield County and another 700 acres in Mesa County. They claim these leases will bring “economic stability” and “support local services.” But what they’re really asking for is more drilling near our homes, schools, and neighborhoods—especially in areas where

On Sept. 16–18, 2025, Voces Unidas, in partnership with COLOR, held our third annual Latino Advocacy Day in Washington, DC—successfully elevating the needs of Latino communities in Colorado. The next step is action from our elected officials. For the third consecutive year, Voces Unidas and COLOR mobilized a Colorado delegation consisting of Latinas and Latinos from various counties in Colorado to advance policy change through direct engagement with members of Congress. The d

Voces Unidas and COLOR will host a delegation of 15 participants and staff during our third annual national Latino Advocacy Day (LAD) on...

The 2025 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) results show low proficiency rates and large achievement gaps for Latino students...