The U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) has recently made headlines for their operations in cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City, but they have not publicly announced any activities in Colorado. However, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division recently executed a search warrant at a makeshift nightclub in Adams County, resulting in the detention of 49 individuals, 41 of whom were unlawfully residing in the U.S.
President Trump has pledged to crack down on gang members living in the U.S. illegally through “Operation Aurora,” which aims to expedite the removal of these individuals. Since Trump’s inauguration, ICE officials have announced nearly 10,000 arrests of immigrants unlawfully in the U.S. in various cities across the country.
While no arrests or raids have been publicly announced in Colorado, ICE officials pointed to the recent arrest of Juan Benitez-Ortega, a Mexican national living in the U.S. unlawfully with prior convictions. Colorado has seen an increase in immigration in recent years, with Denver welcoming around 43,000 immigrants, many from South and Central America.
The issue of illegal immigration is no longer just impacting border states, as interior states like Colorado have also seen a rise in immigration. With President Trump’s focus on targeting gang members and immigrants with criminal records, ICE operations continue to be a topic of national discussion.
