Sole breadwinners and primary caretakers whose lives are rooted in Colorado, arrested on their way to work without an official order of deportation. Individuals targeted as criminals because of prior charges, not convictions. Entire families, dehumanized and treated like animals during Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests and while in custody. As a hotline coordinator, these […]
Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
Posted inBig Idea, News, Politics and Government
Big idea: It may soon be illegal for Colorado to voluntarily share immigrants’ personal information with ICE
Personal information privacy is a hot topic these days, especially within Colorado’s immigrant communities. Many people refrain from accessing basic services — including coronavirus tests and vaccines — for fear their information will be shared with immigration officials. An upcoming bill seeks to assuage those fears. Sen. Julie Gonzales and Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, both Denver […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, COVID, Politics and Government
Coloradans in the U.S. illegally — and their citizen families — were denied coronavirus aid. Will the state step in?
Alaina Silva met her husband in a crowded sushi restaurant in downtown Denver in 2011. He was the sushi chef behind the bar, wearing a black chef’s coat and apron that crisscrossed behind his back. “I had just moved for work and I didn’t know anyone, so I decided to dine alone for the first […]
Posted inColoradans, News, Politics and Government
Asylum-seekers find compassion, resources at “House of Peace” once released from Aurora immigration center
Gurwinder Singh Aujla was unsure of what to do after winning his asylum case and being released from the privately owned Federal ICE Processing Center in Aurora. The 19-year-old from India was legally allowed to reside in the U.S., but he knew no one in Colorado, had little money, no phone and nowhere to go. […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
Do you have a good idea for a new state law? Here’s how to get it drafted by Colorado lawmakers
The next Colorado legislative session doesn’t start until Jan. 8, but the deadline for legislators to submit ideas for bills is quickly approaching. And this means it’s an opportune time to share ideas and concerns with your state lawmakers. All 100 state lawmakers are allowed to introduce five bills each year, and the deadline for […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado lawmakers under pressure to act as troubled immigrant driver’s license program approaches another large crossroads
Three of Colorado’s four Division of Motor Vehicles offices that distribute driver’s licenses to people living in the U.S. illegally could stop offering the service in February if state lawmakers can’t reach an accord early in the 2019 legislative session. Finding such an agreement — to override a cap that triggers the reduction — is […]