It’s time to reach across the political spectrum to build a strong response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s extreme, horrifying and oppressive tactics this year.
Our Durango community has endured suffering at the hands of ICE, Border Patrol and other federal agencies this fall and winter, and we’re not an anomaly. Neighbors are being abused, detained and traumatized. Several are again in mortal danger in their home country. Another is having a hard time facing the nightmares replaying the horrifying moments ICE created. My good friend was pepper-sprayed and yanked around such that they still have lingering pain. In my own small way, even I feel their effects: my back still hurts from sitting on the cement in front of their BODO facility.
Take our community’s pain and multiply it by 200. Multiply it by the echoing gunshots in Minneapolis. By the tears in Denver. By the loss of faith in our country.
All this pain is so unnecessary, so flagrantly unconstitutional and so damaging to our community. How can we move forward?
We need to act as strongly as we can against all further funding of ICE. Contact your legislators to stop the $64 billion appropriation to Homeland Security. Sixty-four billion. In light of events in Minnesota, the world is watching, and perhaps we have a brief moment to pull enough Republican compatriots up from their obeisance to do the right thing.
Liz Dillman
Durango
