Meeting the moment for our community in the Western Slope

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, leaving fear and uncertainty in its wake.

Voces Unidas has a strong track record of standing with our community in moments of crisis — from the COVID-19 pandemic to wildfires and, now, increased immigration enforcement across rural Colorado. Our goal is to ensure that Latino families have access to the information, legal help, and support they need when it matters most.

Through our 24/7 Emergency Hotline, Case Management program, and Western Slope Legal Defense Fund, we provide immediate assistance for families in crisis.

Our hotline (970-340-8586) is available day and night for anyone who needs urgent help. Families use it to report ICE activity, locate a detained loved one, or get guidance during emergencies. Each report is verified by speaking with witnesses, checking photos or videos, contacting local law enforcement, and confirming detentions through ICE databases. When we say ICE is in one of our communties, the public can trust that we have independetly verified the information.

When a loved one is detained, families are often left struggling to meet basic needs. Our Case Management team works directly with affected families to connect them to housing, food, mental health care, and other essential services through trusted local nonprofits. We operate in 15 counties in the Western Slope.

Based on testimonies from impacted individuals who have been deported, we know rural residents have a hard time accessing legal counsel when taken to the Aurora ICE detention facility, hours from home. The Western Slope Legal Defense Fund provides free legal consultations with attorneys who travel to meet clients in person in Aurora. Every person deserves to understand their rights before signing anything or making major legal decisions. And when a case is strong and there’s a clear path forward, the fund can also help with legal fees or immigration bonds — ensuring that money doesn’t decide a family’s fate.

Since January, Voces Unidas has confirmed more than 90 reports of ICE activity across the Western Slope and mountain region, impacting hundreds of people and disrupting entire counties. In September alone, Voces Unidas supported 25 families in the Western Slope. Behind every report is a story — a parent detained on their way to work, a child waiting for news, a community rallying to help.

Please consider supporting our efforts by donating today. Our work is powered by community donations.

Together, we can make sure no one faces ICE alone — and that every family in Colorado’s mountain communities has access to justice, compassion, and hope.

Read some of the blogs about our immigration work:

• ICE detains longtime Colorado father after fake traffic stop

• The story of José and his deportation journey

• Actions by Colorado officials responsible for Latino distrust in law enforcement

• Local Sheriff deputies suspected of doing ICE enforcement in Garfield County

• Bond hearings in Routt County raise questions about ICE collaboration