ICE says immigration arrests will continue in Denver despite the coronavirus outbreak — and an immigration attorney confirms at least two have occurred over the past week.
A local spokeswoman for the agency referred The Denver Post to guidance posted on ICE’s site, which states: “While our law enforcement officers and agents continue daily enforcement operations to make criminal and civil arrests, prioritizing individuals who threaten our national security and public safety, we remain committed to the health and safety of our employees and the general public.”
At least two recent ICE arrests of Denver Public Schools parents have been confirmed.
One was in southwest Denver, near Lincoln High School, on Friday, according to Noah Stout, an attorney who works for the 15-campus local charter school network DSST.
The other took place in the Swansea neighborhood Monday, Stout said, adding that the detainee in that case was on her way to pick up her children. The kids later found their mother’s car on the street and learned from a neighbor what had happened.
Stout, who said he has spoken with the detainees’ families, said both were taken to the Aurora immigration detention facility run by the private prison company GEO. Ten people are quarantined at that facility for possible exposure to the coronavirus.
Advocates slammed ICE for continuing normal operations during the public health crisis.
“It is reckless and extremely dangerous for ICE to be out there conducting hands-on arrests of people and then putting them in detention in what is a crowded facility that is just ripe for a disastrous outbreak,” said Arash Jahanian of the Meyer Law Office, which handles local immigration cases.
Jahanian added that past allegations of medical neglect inside GEO underscore his concern.
“What ICE should do is let people out on ankle monitors instead of increasing the population of the detention center,” he said.
Early in this coronavirus pandemic, attorneys at the Meyer Law Office have continued to receive reports of immigrants getting arrested by ICE, including on Monday outside the Denver courthouse.
Jahanian and attorney Hans Meyer worked this year with state Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, on a bill that would prevent ICE agents from conducting civil immigration arrests of people on courthouse property or going to or from courthouses.
The bill passed both chambers of the legislature and was submitted to the governor for his signature Tuesday, Gonzales said. Immigration activists expect the governor’s support, though he has not said publicly whether he’ll sign it.
