November 5th was a somber day for immigrant families, community leaders, and allies of the immigrant community across Colorado and the nation. With the re-election of Donald Trump, our communities face the renewed threat of mass deportations, xenophobia, and policies aimed at tearing apart families who have called this country home for decades.
“In Colorado, we’ve been through this before. From 2006 to 2013, we stood up for immigrant families and fought to repeal harmful ‘show me your papers’ laws that forced law enforcement to detain and deport thousands of Coloradans. We were able to repeal these harmful laws in Colorado and also paved the way for immigrant protections that have allowed families in our state to thrive by organizing our communities and building collective power,” said Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) Co-Executive Director, Gladis Ibarra.
Earlier this year, CIRC fought hard to defeat several anti-immigrant laws that would have had devastating impacts for immigrant communities in our state, including one that would have reinstated ‘show me your papers’ law.
We cannot allow these divisions to continue to weaken us.”
Henry Sandman, CIRC
As a state with strong protections for immigrant communities, Colorado now stands as a crucial firewall against the hateful plan for mass deportations which was crudely coined ‘Operation Aurora’ after Trump targeted and scapegoated recently arrived immigrants in Aurora. We will continue to defend the Colorado laws that safeguard immigrant families from federal overreach, and we are prepared to organize, mobilize, and defend every member of our community to ensure Colorado continues to be a welcoming and safe place for all.
The decision to double down on fear-based policies, divisive rhetoric, and a blatant disregard for the contributions immigrants make to our communities does not reflect Colorado’s values of compassion, fairness, and justice. We remain deeply disappointed by politicians who seek to stoke fear and blame immigrant communities for political gain, instead of finding solutions that build a stronger and more inclusive society.
“We also recognize the urgent work ahead to heal and unify our immigrant community,” shared Henry Sandman, Co-Executive Director for CIRC. “Years of divisive narratives, compounded by Congress’s failure to create a pathway to citizenship, have increased tensions and sown mistrust—leading some to buy into divisions that pit us against each other, when in truth, we know that everyone deserves dignity and the freedom to build a better life with their families. We cannot allow these divisions to continue to weaken us.”
In the face of this adversity, our fight continues. The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition is committed to standing hand-in-hand with every immigrant and ally who believes in a future where families are united and thrive without fear of deportation and family separation.
Today, we are grateful to everyone who has committed to this fight, and we draw strength from our collective resilience. Our determination to build a future rooted in justice and opportunity for all is unwavering, and together, we will resist every effort to silence, harm, or divide us. Colorado is our home, and we are here to stay.
- CIRC Stands Strong Against Hate, Vows to Protect Colorado’s Immigrant Families - November 15, 2024
- Seven Colorado Colleges Cited for Students’ Workforce-Readiness success - November 15, 2024
- With the Former President’s Win, Fear and Prejudice Prevailed - November 15, 2024
