<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/rural-communities-protect-immigrant-neighbors/>
"In Southwest Colorado, increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
activity has prompted local groups to organize to protect immigrants and arm
residents with knowledge about their constitutional rights when dealing with
federal law enforcement.
In 2025, approximately 20 people have been detained by ICE in La Plata County,
Colorado, said Beatriz Garcia Waddell, a Western Slope community organizer with
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.
Among these incidents was an arrest on August 18 in Aztec, New Mexico, a small
town bordering Southwest Colorado. Jorge Martin Ortiz-Rosalez was arrested in
his own car in front of his wife and daughters. Their windows were smashed-in
by law enforcement, even as Ortiz-Rosalez yelled that his children were in the
car. No arrest warrant was served, according to a
Durango Herald article.
In response to increased ICE presence in the region, local groups have been
holding Know Your Rights trainings to educate both immigrants and allies about
what to do if federal law enforcement is present. Garcia Waddell held one such
training in Cortez, Colorado in mid-August with a group of around 40, mostly
white, retirement-age community members who showed up to protect their
neighbors.
Mariana Stump, an activist who lives in Cortez, has also held a Know Your
Rights training for the Latino community in Montezuma County. Stump said that
about 40 people attended a training in Spanish she held at a church in Cortez
earlier in August and she plans to organize another one in September. “We just
keep spreading the word to let the community of Cortez know that they’re not
alone. We’re here to help them and support them in any hard and difficult
times,” said Stump in an interview with the
Daily Yonder."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
