Denver, Colorado’s mile high capital, has an estimated population of 729,019, of which, around 34% of which is H is Hhispanic. It is one of the most popular destinations for college-bound students in the Roaring Fork Valley to attend.
Colleges such as the University of Denver (DU), University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) and Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) have a substantial number of current students and alumni of Aspen High, Basalt, Roaring Fork and Glenwood high schools.
Recently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices have expanded throughout Colorado in Aurora/Denver, Craig, Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs. The ICE offices have been spreading through Colorado, making the reality of deportation feel very close to many living in the Roaring Fork ValleyVally.
ICE was first established in 2003 under the George W. Bush administration following the 9/11 attacks and according to the ICE webpage, the mission is to strengthen national security by combining immigration enforcement, customs, and border security.
Since Trump’s first election in 2016, ICE has shifted towards a more aggressive approach where the ultimate goal is to target all illegal immigrants through arrests and deportation. This national shift has been applied to every state in the US, and so far, just in the month of January 2026, 675,000 immigrants werehave been deported. This aggressive enforcement has separated thousands of families and caused a stress on undocumented and documented immigrants who are now scared to leave their homes.
Towns and cities in Colorado that in the past were known for encouraging diversity and holding a safe space for working immigrants now have ICE offices that voice the Trump administration’s daily reminder that they are no longer welcome.
“If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return, ” Kristi Noem stated in an official US government ad campaign.
DU students advocate, demanding a change
On January 30th, 2026, a nationwidenation wide strike took place called “ICE OUT”, where schools and businesses throughout Denver closed. This protest stemmed from the deaths of Reene Good, a mother observing the Anti-ICEAnti ICE protest in Minneapolis and Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse and civilian observer who was a bystander of the protest.
Good and Pretti, both legal US citizens, were both harassed and shot by ICE. These deaths have caused retaliation, and resulted in people of all ages around the country standingto stand up against the violence. Thousands of Denver citizens marched from St. John’s Cathedral to the State Capitol to demonstrate their demand for change from the inhuman actions of the governmentgoverment and to voicevoicing their concerns for the future.
Many of these protesters were students in high school and college, missing classes to fight for a cause close to heartsheart. Two DU students, both born and raised in Colorado, share their stories and perspectivesperspective of attending the protests. They heard about the protests through Instagraminstagram and went to show support.
“This is something that we both strongly believe in, and it’s important to take action when you can, and we figured this would be a good time to do that,” An anonymous DU student, and CO resident said.
The setting was described as “emotional” as it is a cause many care about, and filled with families and kids surrounded by excited, peaceful protesters. The students marched from the State Capital, looping around downtown Denver and ending at Union Station.
“We had a sign that said ‘ICE OUT’ and another that said ‘Human Rights Belong to Everybody,” the Anonymous student said.
The two friends went together and mentioned they saw one more DU classmate, however, it was fae less than they had hoped to see participatingparticipate.
“DU has said nothing about it and if they have tried to say anything the messaging is unclear,“ explained the student.
The protest gave both students encouragement for the future, with one DU student stating
“It has definitely given us hope especially with the size of the crowd, seeing everybody come together and stand up against this was very inspiring, and I believe it is very important use our voice as for what is right”
The opportunity of interviewing these studentstwistudents both with connections in ColoradoColoardo and now studying in Denver was very inspiring for me and forto young people in the valley.
This was just one of many examples where our generation is taking a stand and advocating for a cause that they are truly passionate about. Ultimately, the ICE OUT protest gave young people a chance to fight for what they believe in.
The two DU students are doing more than just marching; their actions are paving a way for our generation to use the power and voice we have.
