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

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.

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 drive his work truck. So the red and blue lights with sirens on Monday morning were a surprise. Especially when the law enforcement officer who walked up to the vehicle said he had pulled him over for speeding. Still, Rafael handed over his driver’s license, thinking he was handing it to a local police officer. But as soon as the man in the bul