A protest at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Durango on Tuesday turned violent and now federal and state authorities are investigating the federal agency for reportedly throwing an elderly woman to the ground.
The scuffle between Durango locals and federal immigration officials started on Monday when city officials say ICE officers picked up a father and his two children as they were going to school.
Durango Police said they asked if they could help unite the children with the mother and were told by federal authorities that it was no longer an option. On Tuesday, police say they received a call that one of the children was in distress and tried to do a welfare check at the ICE facility in Durango.
They were not allowed inside.
Immigrant advocates on Tuesday said the family is from Colombia and seeking asylum and has a pending asylum claim. They have strong ties to the Durango community, advocates said, and have lived there for more than 18 months. ICE has transferred the two children to an undisclosed location separate from their father, said Enrique Orozco-Perez, co-executive director of Companeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center.
The family has no criminal record, their children attend local schools and their legal status is confirmed as active according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, Orozco-Perez said. His group has provided case support to the family since December 2024.
Meanwhile, demonstrators protesting the detention of the family poured into the intersection by the ICE office on Monday and Tuesday and double-parked on both sides of the road. Police were dispatched to help ensure emergency vehicles could enter and exit the Durango Fire Station No. 1, which is located across the street from the federal facility.
City officials said on Tuesday at around 6 a.m. there was video taken of the event that showed an elderly woman being shoved to the ground by a federal agent. The city has now asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to help investigate that, and because it happened on federal land, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is also looking into the incident, city officials said.
The FBI didn’t have any immediate comment on the probe.
“Despite our members remaining entirely peaceful, an ICE agent violently punched one of our community members in the face, said a spokesperson from the Southwest Colorado Rapid Response Network, in an emailed statement. “This excessive force against peaceful protestors is unacceptable and underscores the brutal tactics ICE is willing to employ.”
The demonstration reportedly turned “violent” when the family was transported out of there, city officials said.
The Colorado State Patrol responded to the office to ensure public safety, they said, after protesters blocked the facility’s exit and bolted an access gate closed. CSP said troopers did not participate in any immigration actions.
Immigrant advocates on Tuesday called for an immediate reunification of the family and the immediate location and release of the children.
ICE had no immediate comment on the Durango action.
Durango Police said they will partner with local schools in the future to “reduce confusion” to make sure ICE doesn’t interfere with the movement of children into school buildings.
“In moments like these, our duty is not only to uphold the law, but to preserve our humanity,” said Police Chief Brice Current, in a statement. “Our department advocated for the children’s well-being. These situations are complex and often misunderstood. I want to be clear: the Durango Police Department operates independently and remains fully committed to protecting every member of our community with compassion and professionalism.”
