Luis Antezana

Posted November 6, 2025

 

 

In recent weeks, our communities in Colorado have been shaken by heartbreaking news: in Durango, a father and his two children were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on their way to school. (cpr.org) In Parker, a teacher was detained—along with her family—during what was supposed to be a routine immigration check-in appointment. These are not isolated incidents. They are clear examples that ICE is not pursuing criminals or threats to public safety—they are racially profiling, targeting, and tearing apart families based solely on who they are and where they come from.

 

The protest that followed in Durango was met with violence from ICE. Federal agents used pepper spray and rubber bullets against peaceful protesters. (cpr.org) Videos show an agent grabbing a protester’s phone, throwing her to the ground, and physically subduing others who were simply exercising their right to assemble. This is not “enforcement.” This is suppression—a deliberate attempt to discourage people from filming or speaking out.

 

Now is the time to look out for each other. To organize. To lead.

 

Across the state, we’re hearing from more people who say they are afraid to even record ICE. Others have shared that they fear being watched or targeted online for criticizing the current administration. It’s clear: ICE and its allies are using fear as a weapon—fear of detention, fear of retaliation, fear of visibility.

 

And we must also confront another devastating truth: even U.S. citizens are being detained. More than 170 U.S. citizens have been wrongfully held by ICE since January. Each case reminds us that this system’s cruelty is not accidental—it is intentional, designed to intimidate and silence entire communities.

 

Meanwhile, the long-awaited decision in the DACA case has been delayed yet again—now until November 24. This is not good news. Every extension means more uncertainty for hundreds of thousands of DACA recipients living in limbo while courts and politicians play with their lives. This delay doesn’t buy us time—it steals our peace.

 

But here’s the truth: the antidote to fear is action.

 

For every person they intimidate, we need a thousand people to rise—to record, to witness, to protest, to tell the truth. When they try to silence one, we amplify a thousand voices. When they detain a family, we show up as a thousand more families standing together.

 

Now is the time to look out for each other. To organize. To lead. To remind those in power that our right to speak, to protest, and to defend our neighbors is non-negotiable.

 

At Juntos Community, we believe that courage multiplies when shared. Let’s be that force—the one that refuses to hide, refuses to forget, and refuses to let fear dictate our future. In solidarity.

 

Luis Antezana serves as CEO for Juntos Community.