This month, working people across the country are standing together in support of Minnesota communities, who are on the frontlines of one of the largest domestic federal law enforcement actions in our country’s history.
While Western Colorado is far away from Minnesota geographically, the conduct and accelerating expansion of federal immigration enforcement operations impacts us all, including rural Western communities.
Immigrants are an integral part of Western Colorado. They are our friends, family, and neighbors, are members of our church congregations, own small businesses, and are critical to our agricultural economy. While not at the same scale as actions in urban areas, ICE has targeted these members of our rural communities from Durango to Grand Junction to Eagle and more.
These actions threaten core constitutional principles that protect everyone —especially people living in places where federal power is distant, oversight is thin, and abuses are harder to contest.
And yet this month, Congress is debating giving more money to ICE to expand their operations. At the same time, funding for basic services such as healthcare, childcare, and food security has been dramatically cut or threatened this year, impacting thousands of working Western Coloradans.
We’re speaking up — in our homes, our neighborhoods, and to our elected officials from the local level to Washington DC. We’re demanding accountability and calling for communities where leaders unite people instead of dividing them. Western Coloradans may not all share the same views, but we are united in our respect for core principles that we expect our leaders to follow. These include fairness, freedom, the rule of law, and respect for human dignity.
When we see people — citizens and non-citizens — being killed, harmed, and detained, we speak out. We speak out because no government should have unchecked power to harm its people. This abuse needs to end now.
Yesterday, the latest federal funding package passed the House, this time without extra funding for ICE. However, lawmakers only have nine days to demand changes and reforms to stop the lawless actions of ICE and the erosion of our civil liberties. Sen. Hickenlooper and Sen. Bennet are standing firm on no more money for ICE without a fundamental overhaul to rein in their lawless actions and introduced legislation to do just that.
Rep. Jeff Hurd has stated that the shootings in Minneapolis are “serious incidents” that warrant a full investigation and that people have constitutional rights that must be upheld. We need to make it clear that Western Coloradans expect him to make good on this statement and to ensure our civil liberties are upheld.
Call Rep. Hurd and demand he uphold Western Colorado values and protect all Western Coloradans and our civil liberties:
(970) 208-0455
And sign the pledge to draw the line and protect our communities: no to abuse of power, and yes to respecting our neighbors and Western Colorado values.
