In February, we aired a brief interview with Alida Soileau, a local criminal defense attorney whose client was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while leaving the Montrose County Courthouse. In the interview, we touched on the questionable legality of these types of arrests. Since then, we’ve spoken to local advocacy groups, and tried to better understand ICE activity in the region as well as how state laws govern federal agents. We learned that there is little consensus on whether or not federal agents are required to abide by state laws while carrying out their federal duties. The subject is murky, and the legal ambiguity has consequences across the Western Slope. Today's Local Motion includes more detail from attorney Alida Soileau, as well as interviews with Beatriz Garcia from the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, and with Karen Sherman Perez, from the Hispanic Affairs Project. This episode explores questions about how an important national issue is playing out in our community, and a legal gray area affects our neighbors lacking formal immigration status.
Local Motion: ICE Activity and Legal Uncertainty on the Western Slope
coloradojudicial.gov
