{"id":15731,"date":"2025-11-10T12:31:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T19:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ice-debate-stirs-tension-at-legislative-forum-in-dolores\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:50:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:50:32","slug":"ice-debate-stirs-tension-at-legislative-forum-in-dolores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/ice-debate-stirs-tension-at-legislative-forum-in-dolores\/","title":{"rendered":"ICE debate stirs tension at legislative forum in Dolores"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mirna
Mirna Sinombre addresses Michael Sawyer during a tense moment at the Dolores Public Library. The exchange followed Sawyer\u2019s remarks critical of immigrants and came at the close of a legislative update by Rep. Katie Stewart and Sen. Cleave Simpson. (Jennifer Magnuson\/Special to The Journal)<\/span>Jennifer Magnuson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

An otherwise calm update from two state lawmakers at the Dolores Public Library on Saturday morning became tense when a discussion about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Durango sparked a heated exchange.<\/p>\n

Colorado Rep. Katie Stewart and Sen. Cleave Simpson spoke at the event, organized by the League of Women Voters of Montezuma County, to share takeaways from the Colorado General Assembly\u2019s recent budget-balancing special session.<\/p>\n

Both lawmakers emphasized that despite efforts to close a significant budget deficit, Colorado\u2019s financial challenges remain.<\/p>\n

Toward the end of the meeting, the conversation shifted to the recent ICE incident in Durango, prompting emotional responses and applause for remarks from a self-described immigrant.<\/p>\n

The exchange followed heightened tensions in Durango, where ICE agents used pepper spray and rubber bullets against protesters in late October. Activists had rallied against the detainment of a man and his two children. An agent later said the father was mistakenly identified<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ICE agents applied force after asking protesters to disperse a human chain blocking the entrance to the agency\u2019s field office. Durango Police Chief Brice Current told City Council members on Oct. 30 that agitators were present on both sides.<\/p>\n

The incident in Dolores underscored how quickly polarization can unfold around one of the most controversial policies of the current federal administration.<\/p>\n

ICE topic anticipated<\/div>\n

Although the library event was billed as a legislative update, earlier communications from the League of Women Voters indicated that ICE\u2019s presence in Durango would also be addressed.<\/p>\n

A Nov. 3 League newsletter said officials would discuss the ICE incident. A revised version sent Nov. 5 noted limited capacity at the venue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realize many are concerned about the events at the Durango ICE facility last week and may have questions and wish to share their concerns,\u201d read the email from League Chairwoman Karen Sheek. \u201cThe Dolores Library is partnering with the League to host this event, and the capacity of this meeting space is 50; once we have reached capacity, others will be asked to leave so as not to interfere with the Saturday operation of the library.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Karen
Karen Sheek, chairwoman of the League of Women Voters \u2013 Montezuma County welcomes attendees to the meeting. (Jennifer Magnuson\/Special to The Journal)<\/span>Jennifer Magnuson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Rep.
Rep. Katie Stewart and Sen. Cleave Simpson speak to about 50 Montezuma County residents during a legislative update at the Dolores Public Library. (Jennifer Magnuson\/Special to The Journal)<\/span>Jennifer Magnuson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Rep.
Rep. Katie Stewart and Sen. Cleave Simpson speak to about 50 Montezuma County residents about the recent special legislative session. (Jennifer Magnuson\/Special to The Journal)<\/span>Jennifer Magnuson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Sheek added that Stewart and Simpson agreed to host a future event in Montezuma County focused on ICE.<\/p>\n

At Saturday\u2019s meeting, time was set aside at the end for local activists to speak.<\/p>\n

Angela Atkinson was the first to address the room, describing a newly formed committee in Montezuma County focused on education about ICE and immigrant rights.<\/p>\n

The tone shifted when Enrique Orozo-Perez, co-executive director of Compa\u00f1eros \u2013 Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center, spoke against ICE\u2019s tactics in Durango. His remarks were interrupted by resident Michael Sawyer, who voiced criticism of immigrants.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very important to understand that our side was nonviolent,\u201d Orozo-Perez said, drawing applause.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe violence happened when the state, the federal government sanctioned it on our people,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s recordings of us saying we are not here to fight ICE. The game has changed, because they\u2019re not going after adults. We have a 12-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl who just had their childhood ripped away. All the violence you saw, they want to focus on that because ICE understood they kidnapped two kids from our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a lie,\u201d Sawyer responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cICE did not kidnap,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cThere\u2019s parents out there that have kids that aren\u2019t theirs to collect money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Enrique
Enrique Orozo-Perez, co-executive director of Compa\u00f1eros \u2013 Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center, speaks about the recent ICE incident involving a Durango family. (Jennifer Magnuson\/Special to The Journal)<\/span>Jennifer Magnuson<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
A rebuke of Sawyer\u2019s words<\/div>\n

Mirna Sinombre, a self-described immigrant, responded forcefully to Sawyer\u2019s comments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI pay my taxes,\u201d she said. \u201cI raised my sons. One fought in Afghanistan. I lost my son in Afghanistan. Don\u2019t you sit there saying that immigrants come here just to be freeloaders. Maybe tomorrow I\u2019ll get picked up (by ICE) at the City Market. You don\u2019t know that. Why? Because I\u2019m brown. Because I have an accent. And that\u2019s all it takes. You don\u2019t understand those things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her statement drew applause from many of the roughly 50 attendees. Sheek thanked Sinombre, helped de-escalate the exchange and concluded the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest thing we have in common is that we\u2019re all human beings,\u201d Sheek said. \u201cWe all want to have a good life. We all want to raise our children in a safe, good place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sawyer responds<\/div>\n

After the event, Sawyer said he sympathized with Sinombre\u2019s story but maintained his stance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel for her and I know how it is being an immigrant, but a lot of these people aren\u2019t immigrants,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re illegals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sawyer said his earlier comments were based on a belief that the two minors detained by ICE in Durango might not have been the children of the parents. He suggested they could have been used to enter the country, but acknowledged that this idea was based on hearsay and unconfirmed.<\/p>\n

He cited Title 8 U.S. Code \u00a7 1227<\/a>, which outlines grounds for deportation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what our ICE agents are going after. And I know they\u2019re having a hard time following some of the laws,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lawmakers\u2019 update on Colorado\u2019s special session ends in emotional exchange<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,29],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-15731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-newsletter"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731","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=15731"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19813,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15731\/revisions\/19813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15731"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=15731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}