Colorado Democrats in Washington, D.C., are demanding an independent investigation and detailed briefing of ICE activities in Eagle County after ace of spades cards were left behind in vehicles left by immigrants after they were taken by federal agents.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday, the Democrats also said they are “deeply concerned” by allegations that immigration agents were using sirens on their vehicles to act as if they were local law enforcement. A nonprofit in Eagle County previously said nine men were captured and taken to detention Jan. 21, including eight who were in four different vehicles pulled over in “fake traffic stops.”
“This behavior leads individuals to believe they are lawfully required to pull over for a traffic violation when in reality, the federal government has no authority over local or state traffic regulations,” wrote U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with U.S. Reps. Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen. “Federal agents acting in disguise as local law enforcement is misconduct and should be treated as such.”
The ace of spades cards, printed with the address and phone number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Denver, were found by family and friends who went to retrieve the vehicles left on U.S. 6 near Minturn in Eagle County, the nonprofit said. Ace of spades cards are linked historically to racism, including as “death cards” left on dead bodies during the Vietnam War. The cards were found in at least two vehicles that day, according to Voces Unidas, a nonprofit based in Glenwood Springs that is tracking ICE activity in several mountain communities.
The letter to Noem requests “a formal and detailed briefing on ICE activities in Eagle County,” along with a written report. It also asks for an independent investigation by the Office of Inspector General into the activities of the Denver field office, which oversees ICE activity in Eagle County, and “written confirmation of any disciplinary or corrective actions taken.”
The Department of Homeland Security said Jan. 23 that it “unequivocally condemns” any such action and that ICE would conduct a “thorough investigation” and take “appropriate and swift action.” In response to a follow-up question from The Colorado Sun on Friday about whether there had been an investigation or any discipline, ICE responded via email: “There is no update.”
Colorado Democrats in Congress said they were taking actions to “prevent further intimidation of Latino communities.”
“It is unacceptable and dangerous for federal law enforcement to use this symbol to intimidate Latino communities,” they said in a news release. “This behavior undermines public trust in law enforcement, raises serious civil rights concerns, and falls far short of the professional standards expected of federal agents.”
They asked Noem for a response to their requests by Feb. 13.
Alex Sánchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas, testified this week at the state legislature in support of a proposed bill that would give people the ability to file civil lawsuits against federal immigration officials in state court for alleged constitutional violations. Sánchez said increased ICE activity in mountain towns has included federal agents attaching sirens to unmarked vehicles and following immigrants as they drive to work.
In an open letter to the Eagle, Vail and Avon communities after the Jan. 21 detentions, Sánchez said ICE agents were seen near restaurants and hotels.
“We were answering calls as this unfolded,” he wrote. “Family members called looking for loved ones. Workers and managers — Latino and non-Latino — called after seeing ICE with their own eyes outside their workplaces. Everyone was reporting the same thing. We confirmed these reports through firsthand witnesses and photo and video evidence.”