Anti-ICE demonstrations expand to Colorado
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Anti-ICE protesters march toward the ICE processing center on Monday in Aurora, Colorado. Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images
Demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement are spreading across the country — including in metro Denver.
The latest: Activists in Denver and Aurora this week joined a wave of national protests against recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids — and the increasingly militarized response in Los Angeles and beyond.
The big picture: The unrest in LA — where President Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines — has become a flashpoint.
- Cities like New York and Austin, where protests have broken out in solidarity with LA demonstrators, have been met with mass arrests and tear gas.
Why it matters: Backlash is growing against the Trump administration's hardline immigration agenda, which has sent shockwaves through Colorado — from large-scale ICE raids to lawsuits targeting Denver's defiance.
Zoom in: At least three demonstrations have taken place across metro Denver this week.
- On Tuesday, an "ICE Out!" protest at the Colorado State Capitol that started peacefully ended with Denver police in tactical gear using smoke and pepper balls to order protesters to disperse on Broadway. Police said 17 arrests were made for vandalism, obstruction and assaulting officers, CPR reports.
- Protesters on Monday marched to the ICE detention center in Aurora, led by leftist and immigrant rights groups like the Denver Party for Socialism and Liberation and Casa de Paz.
- The same day, the local SEIU chapter rallied in downtown Denver, standing behind SEIU California president David Huerta, who was arrested in LA Friday, and slamming Gov. Jared Polis for cooperating with ICE.
What they're saying: "What is happening in Los Angeles … makes me both furious and proud," state Sen. Julie Gonzales (D-Denver) said at the Denver protest Monday.
- "There is nothing more patriotic than seeing so many Americans … exercising their First Amendment rights … against unjust enforcement, racial terror and fascist displays of power," she added.
State of play: A bill signed into law last month by Polis, a Democrat, explicitly restricts the deployment of military forces from outside Colorado in the state unless the governor permits it.
- "We have done everything that we can do — but what we have seen is that Donald Trump is willing to overrule local governments and state governments in order to exercise his will," said Gonzales, the bill's lead sponsor.
Between the lines: Nearly half of American adults disapprove of the Trump administration's deployment of the National Guard and Marines in response to the LA protests, the latest YouGov polling shows.
The other side: In a statement on X, the Colorado Republican Party said Monday that it "stands firmly with President Trump and … law enforcement as they work to restore order in Los Angeles amid the violent riots."
- "Their commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting our communities is commendable," the party added.
What's next: More protests are planned in Colorado as part of a "nationwide day of defiance" in response to Trump's multimillion-dollar military parade in D.C. on Saturday.
What we're watching: How demonstrations develop across metro Denver and whether the violent clashes seen between protesters and police in other cities happen here. Activists say they're preparing for that possibility.
- "I think everybody's worried," Gonzales said. "I think all Americans should be worried."