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.

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

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 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

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

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

Across Colorado’s Western Slope and mountain region, immigrant families continue to live with uncertainty and fear. When ICE activity happens — often without warning — families are torn apart in an instant. People’s rights are violated, and those detained are forced to make life-altering decisions without access to legal counsel. Parents disappear on their way to work, leaving children and relatives to fend for themselves. The shock ripples through entire neighborhoods, leavi

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...

The recently released 2025 Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) results show the Roaring Fork School District (RE-1) again...

Constitutional rights suffered a major blow this week when the U.S. Supreme Court essentially legalized racial profiling by government...

When Rafael would drive, his sons and family would joke that he drove too slow, like an old man. It was especially true when he would...

José was dropped off in Chiapas, Mexico, on a Wednesday this month, about 2,000 miles away from his family’s hometown, with nothing but...

Unresolved priorities remain for Latinos, according to voters and non-voters surveyed  For the fifth consecutive year, economic issues...

When Luis Armando Rivas Martinez thought he was being followed by a silver car, he told his family, but tried to brush it off as nothing. But on Tuesday, June 3, while walking out of the WalMart in Glenwood Springs, the silver car was back, and this time, it was joined by two other vehicles identified as belonging to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. The uniformed Garfield County Sheriff Deputy asked Luis to confirm his name, and then an officer with a black vest and the

After a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month limited the power of federal district courts to order national injunctions, advocacy groups...