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ACLU Sues DHS and ICE Leaders Over Alleged Illegal Arrests in Colorado

Plaintiffs seek a statewide injunction, alleging quota‑driven, appearance‑based arrests that flout 8 U.S.C. §1357.

Overview

  • The class‑action complaint filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Colorado names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, and Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian.
  • The filing details the detentions of four long‑time residents, including an Aurora case of mistaken identity and a roadside arrest that followed a sheriff’s alert to ICE.
  • Citing agency figures, the suit notes 15,756 arrests by ICE’s Denver office across Wyoming and Colorado and nearly 2,000 arrests in Colorado in the year’s first half, tying the pace to a reported goal of 3,000 arrests per day.
  • The ACLU alleges ICE is making warrantless arrests without assessing flight risk, while ICE leaders have defended broad authority, prioritized serious offenders, and rejected profiling claims; the agency declined comment on the suit.
  • The case arrives after the Supreme Court lifted a lower‑court limit on ICE “roving patrols,” affirming brief investigative stops based on articulable suspicion.