{"id":15916,"date":"2025-10-28T13:04:56","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T19:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/federal-agents-use-pepper-spray-rubber-bullets-on-durango-protesters\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T03:52:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:52:09","slug":"federal-agents-use-pepper-spray-rubber-bullets-on-durango-protesters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/federal-agents-use-pepper-spray-rubber-bullets-on-durango-protesters\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal agents use pepper spray, rubber bullets on Durango protesters"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Protesters
Protesters link arms while being pepper sprayed as they try to prevent vehicles from leaving outside an ICE facility Tuesday in Durango. (Josh Stephenson\/Special to the Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

More than 24 hours of peaceful protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Durango culminated Tuesday with pepper spray and rubber bullets being used against protesters.<\/p>\n

Protesters gathered at the site Monday morning after a man and his two middle school children were arrested that morning on their way to school. Protesters formed a human chain in front of the field office gates Monday night to block federal agents from removing the family from the facility.<\/p>\n

The chain held through midday Tuesday until masked ICE agents in military-style desert camouflage attacked protesters after ordering them to disperse. The agents flanked protesters from east Sheppard Drive and broke through the ranks to reach the facility gates, deploying mace, firing rubber bullets and dragging away protesters who were seated on the pavement in front of field office entrance.<\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters link arms while being pepper sprayed as they try to prevent vehicles from leaving outside an ICE facility Tuesday in Durango. (Josh Stephenson\/Special to the Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Melody
Melody Kiltz-Dawson leads others in a chant during a protest outside an ICE facility Tuesday in Durango. (Josh Stephenson\/Special to the Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

After protesters were cleared from one entrance gate, a black van \u2013 reportedly transporting the family \u2013 appeared from beyond the barbed wire surrounding the field office and left the facility.<\/p>\n

Protesters, soaked in pepper spray, wailed as others rushed to their aid with milk, water and saline solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey beat the (expletive) out of us,\u201d said Autumn, a protester who declined to share her last name. \u201cThey came here and in under three minutes they\u2019re spraying us. They\u2019re hitting us point-blank in the back of the head with rubber bullets, which is a human rights violation.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said ICE agents are \u201cillegally doing the bidding of the state\u201d and are complicit in disappearing people and \u201catrocities against American citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters link arms while being pepper sprayed as they try to prevent vehicles from leaving an ICE facility Tuesday in Durango. (Josh Stephenson\/Special to the Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Facilitated release \u2018no longer an option\u2019<\/div>\n

ICE agents told the Durango Police Department that they attempted to release the children to another parent but were unsuccessful, according to a city news release on Tuesday. Durango officers then offered on multiple occasions to help facilitate the release back to the children, \u201cbut were informed that it was no longer an option,\u201d according to the city.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, police received a report that one of the children may have been in distress and potentially experiencing abuse, the city said. Officers attempted to conduct a welfare check and to bring food to the family.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, federal agents denied officers entry to the facility,\u201d the city wrote in its release.<\/p>\n

At the request of Durango Fire Protection District, Durango police helped ensure emergency vehicles could safely come and go from Station No. 1 in Bodo Industrial Park, according to the city. Protesters were double-parked on both sides of the road near the ICE field office.<\/p>\n

Early morning flash point<\/div>\n

Organizers said they planned to remain peaceful while delaying ICE efforts to separate the family. Around 1 a.m. Tuesday, Durango police officers arrived to monitor the situation but left a few hours later.<\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters link arms as agents pull them from the road as vehicles leave an ICE facility Tuesday in Durango. (Josh Stephenson\/Special to the Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Just before 6 a.m. Tuesday, a vehicle without license plates arrived to deliver food to the family, according to the vehicle\u2019s driver. Federal agents then emerged from the building, and a confrontation ensured. Agents threw protesters\u2019 belongings across the road.<\/p>\n

Protester Francy Stagi said an agent took the phone out of her hand as she recorded, then grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the ground in a choke hold. She was afraid the agent would kick her to death.<\/p>\n

\"Protesters
Protesters link arms while being pepper sprayed as they try to prevent vehicles from leaving outside an ICE facility Tuesday in Durango. (Josh Stephenson\/Special to the Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Other agents attempted to restrain the officer before they all retreated back into the building. Demonstrators called 911, but Stagi said she was uninjured.<\/p>\n

Stagi, laughing lightly, said she received a parking ticket from DPD. When she reported her assault by ICE agents to local police, officers told her there was nothing they could do about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is (expletive) Nazi Germany. This is Pinochet in Chile,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

She said protesters outside the ICE field office had no way of knowing how the children arrested Monday morning were being treated by agents inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they\u2019re yelling at her. Maybe they\u2019re pulling her fingernails out one by one. We don\u2019t know,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\n