DENVER — On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, federal immigration officers detained, arrested, handcuffed, and cited a legal observer at Denver Immigration Court while the legal observer was lawfully observing the detention of an immigrant family. ACLU of Colorado attorneys responded to the scene on behalf of the observer upon learning of their detention. The legal observer was released but faces a citation under the code of federal regulations for attempting to bear witness to the anti-immigrant tactics of the current administration. The immigrant father was ultimately detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as his partner and young child watched in tears.
For weeks, legal observers have been present at immigration court in response to increasing arrests, disappearances, and unusual behavior by government agents. ACLU of Colorado has been increasingly concerned about reports that federal immigration agents are denying immigrants access to counsel and restricting the presence of legal observers at immigration courts.
The following statement can be attributed to Tim Macdonald, ACLU of Colorado Legal Director:
“We condemn this brazen abuse of power in the strongest terms possible. Detaining, arresting, and handcuffing legal observers reflects the aggressive and violent tactics that the government is using to try to limit due process and remove our immigrant neighbors without public awareness. These heavy-handed actions will not be tolerated. The public is entitled to know what our government is trying to do to strike fear into immigrant communities and how they are trying to do it.”
