{"id":131470,"date":"2026-06-01T20:04:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T02:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mancos-town-board-approves-letter-in-support-of-immigration-enforcement-reform-bills\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T20:44:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T02:44:19","slug":"mancos-town-board-approves-letter-in-support-of-immigration-enforcement-reform-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/mancos-town-board-approves-letter-in-support-of-immigration-enforcement-reform-bills\/","title":{"rendered":"Mancos town board approves letter in support of immigration enforcement reform bills"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=f33dca4f-2ae4-59e6-9573-1e702fe371df&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=f33dca4f-2ae4-59e6-9573-1e702fe371df&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=800 800w, https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=f33dca4f-2ae4-59e6-9573-1e702fe371df&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=1200 1200w, https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=f33dca4f-2ae4-59e6-9573-1e702fe371df&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=1800 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 2000px\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" alt=\"Following a town values statement release, Mancos Board of Trustees voiced support for bills that would regulate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. (Associated Press file)\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Following a town values statement release, Mancos Board of Trustees voiced support for bills that would regulate U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. (Associated Press file)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>The Colorado Rapid Response Network, which runs a hotline for reporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity, posted a video last week to Facebook showing two black cars reversing out of the Montezuma County Sheriff\u2019s Office parking lot as a videographer gave them the middle finger.<\/p>\n<p>The post read, \u201c3 p.m. Cortez, CO \u2013 CONFIRMED, ICE.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mancos residents were quick to respond as the local advocacy organization The Cookout reposted the video and urged residents to \u201cpack the house\u201d at the evening\u2019s Board of Trustees meeting. On the agenda was a vote on whether to send a letter of support for Sen. Michael Bennet\u2019s proposed immigration enforcement reforms.<\/p>\n<p><\/p><div class=\"naviga-social-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F985414167832176%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0\" width=\"267\" height=\"476\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n<p>\u201cVulnerable members of our community, people of color here in Mancos are scared because of what is actually happening,\u201d said one community member in his plea to the board during public comment.<\/p>\n<p><figure class=\"wp-block-image naviga-inline-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=1d7e26c1-22f1-5102-af05-5b0c377d7a55&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=2000\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=1d7e26c1-22f1-5102-af05-5b0c377d7a55&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=800 800w, https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=1d7e26c1-22f1-5102-af05-5b0c377d7a55&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=1200 1200w, https:\/\/imengine.public.prod.dur.navigacloud.com\/?uuid=1d7e26c1-22f1-5102-af05-5b0c377d7a55&amp;function=cover&amp;type=preview&amp;source=false&amp;width=1800 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 2000px\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" alt=\"Sen. Michael Bennet is proposing three bills to a Republican-controlled Congress. If passed, his bills could prevent warrantless immigrant enforcement arrests within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations like churches, schools and courthouses. (Associated Press file)\" class=\"naviga-image\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption><span class=\"caption\">Sen. Michael Bennet is proposing three bills to a Republican-controlled Congress. If passed, his bills could prevent warrantless immigrant enforcement arrests within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations like churches, schools and courthouses. (Associated Press file)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><p>The board voted 4-1 in favor of distributing a letter to Colorado\u2019s congressional delegation expressing support for Bennet\u2019s three new bills. The proposals could establish new protections for immigrants sought out by ICE and promote transparency between the agency and the public.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis aligns a lot with what people were packing the house for months asking for,\u201d Trustee Max Loving said. \u201cThis is very much in our wheelhouse and would show those community members that we did hear them and we do care.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bennet\u2019s Keeping Immigrants and Destinations Safe \u2013 or KIDS \u2013 Act would bar the Department of Homeland Security from detaining minors, people with cognitive disabilities and their primary caregivers as well as prohibit immigration arrests near and in sensitive places like churches and schools.<\/p>\n<p>His Training, Responsibility, Uniforms and Standards for Transparency \u2013 or TRUST \u2013 Act would enforce identification, require body cameras and ban masking among immigration enforcement officers as well as implement mandatory trainings on topics like civil rights, disability identification and language access.<\/p>\n<p>Bennet\u2019s final bill in the series, the Oversight, Protection and Enforcement Notification \u2013 or OPEN \u2013 Act would permit Congress members unrestricted access to immigration detention facilities, require public reporting of alleged misconduct from DHS and mandate that immigration enforcement officers acquire judicial warrants for their operations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe represent conservatives and liberals. This is clearly very partisan legislation,\u201d Trustee Daniel Hennek, the one dissenting member, said. \u201cIt\u2019s trying to draw the town of Mancos into the partisan fight and support something that will certainly alienate a large portion of our residents who disagree with this type of policy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite his objections, other members pushed the letter of support through, tasking Town Administrator Heather Alvarez with presenting a draft to the board during their next meeting June 10.<\/p>\n<p>Most agreed it aligned with their earlier values statement, published after an array of concerned community members alleged that ICE activity was stoking widespread fear among town residents.<\/p>\n<p>Montezuma County Sheriff Steve Nowlin confirmed Wednesday\u2019s ICE arrest outside his office, saying federal immigration officers likely checked public records for the suspect\u2019s release date and waited outside to detain them following their exit. Nowlin said the sheriff\u2019s office doesn\u2019t work with federal immigration and has no jurisdiction over whether ICE picks up an inmate following their release.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have a job to do as far as protecting everybody.\u2029And we\u2019ve never been asked by ICE to assist when they\u2019re doing any type of an arrest,\u201d Nowlin said.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the chatter about ICE that has become a constant at Mancos Board of Trustees meetings, Nowlin doesn\u2019t believe the agency or its officers pose a risk to Montezuma County residents.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t see them as a threat. I really don\u2019t,\u201d Nowlin said.<\/p>\n<p>The law would ensure \u201csomebody isn\u2019t just getting taken by three yahoos in a truck,\u201d Mancos Mayor Cindy Simpson said, voicing support for Bennet\u2019s legislation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe basic premise of this request is requiring government to follow its own rules and to be civil and uphold legal behavior from government agencies. I have absolutely no problem with that,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<p><em id=\"emphasis-b18758661f6c2f715c78a6dabd1570a1\"><a href=\"mailto:avanderveen@the-journal.com\">avanderveen@the-journal.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"naviga-social-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F985414167832176%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0\" width=\"267\" height=\"476\" style=\"border:none;overflow:hidden\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>activity has stoked fear among some residents<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":131471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5736,5735],"tags":[28,904,83,29,6419],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-131470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-news","tag-headlines","tag-immigration","tag-mancos","tag-newsletter","tag-tj-trueanthem"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131470"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":131473,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131470\/revisions\/131473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131470"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=131470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}