PoliticsPolitics

Actions

Colorado immigrant rights groups react to Trump's ICE director selection

Tom Homan is joining a Trump administration that has vowed to carry out mass deportations, which Trump has said would be in the millions.
Election 2024 Trump Deportations
Posted
and last updated

DENVER — After President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement that Tom Homan will lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), immigrant rights groups in Colorado are preparing for the possibility of mass deportations.

Homan is returning to a top border security role within the Trump White House after serving as acting director of ICE during the first 18 months of Trump's first term. Prior to his tenure in the Trump administration, he was in the Obama administration as the ICE enforcement and removal operations executive associate director. In 2015, Obama gave Homan the Presidential Rank Award.

Homan is joining a Trump administration that has vowed to carry out mass deportations, which Trump has said would be in the millions.

“I think Holman has an incredibly scary background. He oversaw Trump's family separation policy, which separated over 5,000 children from their parents during Trump's first administration, many of whom were never reunited,” said Raquel Lane-Arellano, communications manager for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC). “I think his appointment shows that they're serious about things like removing birthright citizenship and actively taking away citizenship from people who have become citizens. And so we're worried.”

trump supporters during trump visit in aurora gaylord rockies

Politics

'Operation Aurora' would deport violent criminals. Supporters hope it does more

Brandon Richard

Lane-Arellano said CIRC is focused on informing immigrants about their rights if deportations begin in Colorado.

“If ICE comes to your door, the best thing you can do is to not answer the door unless they have a warrant that has been signed by a judge,” Lane-Arellano said. “Colorado has essentially expanded constitutional rights to our Coloradans who are undocumented, as well. And so I think we have some things that we can do in Colorado. One is if Trump attempts to use the National Guard, Jared Polis, our governor, can reject that request.”

Lane-Arellano said if mass deportations are carried out, it would not be the first time in U.S. history. In the 1930s the U.S. deported about two million Mexicansand Mexican Americans. Historians estimate more than half of those deported were U.S. citizens who were born in the U.S. These deportations happened during the Great Depression when the economy was down and competition for jobs was intense.

Election 2024 Trump

Politics

Immigrant advocates, Colorado leaders react to Trump's push for mass deportation

Veronica Acosta

Taking a look at recent history, according to Reuters, Barack Obama’s administration deported 2.9 million people during his first 4-year term. Donald Trump’s administration deported 1. 5 million people in four years.

The latest Reuters data shows Joe Biden’s administration has deported 1.1 million people so far and is possibly on track to exceed Trump’s deportation numbers.

The Denver Human Rights & Community Partnerships and its Immigrant & Refugee Affairs Division team will host a series of meetings this week to hear immigrants' concerns following the election at the following library branches:


Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

Sunset over the State Capitol.jpeg

U.S Capitol CNN 061419

White House