Around two dozen Mancos residents gathered in front of the local car wash Thursday morning to oppose recent activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
The protest comes after ICE officials detained two Mancos residents who had been working at Chavolo’s Mexican Restaurant. Both detentions happened within the course of the past week.
“I’ve known these guys over seven years,” said Jona Navarro, a friend of the two men who also works at Chavolo’s. They weren’t causing any problems, he said, just going to work.
The first action happened May 9, Navarro said, when ICE officials pulled over Carlos Rodriguez near the Columbine Bar on Grand Avenue. The second detention occurred Monday morning when Gerardo Rojas was pulled over at P&D Grocery, according to Navarro.
Rodriguez is being held in Denver; Rojas remains detained in Durango, Navarro said. Both men are Mancos residents, with families in the area.
The crowd at Thursday’s protest wanted to show support for the two men and opposition to the ICE detentions in Mancos, said Joanie Trussel, who attended the event. She added that many of those being targeted are “good people trying to live their own lives,” and that gaining documentation in this country is a difficult process.
“There’s something wrong with the system,” Trussel said.
ealvero@the-journal.com
