Ripple effects of ICE enforcement linger in Eagle County

Since its inception in 1962, Vail has relied on immigrant workers, overseas visitors and investors from other countries, transforming a high-mountain sheep pasture surrounded by public lands into one of the most popular winter sports destinations on the planet.

Mexico in particular has been part of a symbiotic relationship with Vail dating back to the ski area’s opening day on Dec. 15, 1962, when its founders were actively trying to lure Mexican visitors and homeowners in Aspen to their fledging resort.

But the ripple effects from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions near Vail last week have carried over to this week, with the word “fear” featuring prominently in discussions around town. Local police confirmed at least seven people — some of whom were on their way to work in Vail — were detained by ICE in EagleVail on Wednesday of last week. Later, it was revealed that ace of spades playing cards containing the address to the ICE field office in Aurora were also allegedly left in the detainees’ abandoned cars.

“ICE is investigating this situation but unequivocally condemns this type of action and/or officer conduct. Once notified, ICE supervisors acted swiftly to address the issue,” a Department of Homeland Security official said in written statement provided by ICE Denver public affairs. “The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a thorough investigation and will take appropriate and swift action.”

ICE Denver did not confirm the number of people detained or arrested in EagleVail last week, nor would they say what crimes were being investigated or where people were sent.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

While reports of ICE detentions in Vail itself proved to be more rumor than reality, Vail restaurants and clubs were impacted. At least two Vail restaurants did not open Thursday out of fear of ICE raids, and some businesses closed early or sent workers home early Wednesday night because of rumored raids.

Now, Colorado officials are increasingly concerned ICE will be coming here in larger numbers soon.

What matters in your community, delivered daily.

Sign up for our morning newsletter at VailDaily.com/newsletter

“At the end of the day, we can’t stop what President Trump continues to do in targeting Colorado and having negative consequences. I hope we can all just maybe realize and our representatives out in D.C. can make the case that this is not a partisan issue,” state Sen. Dylan Roberts, whose district includes Vail, said in a recent phone interview. 

“This is about keeping small businesses open. This is about making sure that these communities can continue to operate or else they’re going to see significant closures and impacts on people that want to call this place home,” Roberts said, pointing to discussions at the current legislative session in Denver. “I wish there was more that we could do directly at the state level, but we’re trying to consider every option, continuing to talk about it I think is helpful.”

Eagle County Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney, whose board drafted and passed a resolution of immigrant support in April, said in a recent phone interview, “The best thing we can do is be sure that people understand, immigrants understand, their rights. And those people who want to be allies to the immigrant, migrant community need to know what their role can be.”

The nonprofit Mountain Dreamers advocacy group in Summit County, which has an office in Eagle, runs a website with information in English and Spanish and a “Know Your Rights” page for people worried about interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Call Mountain Dreamers at 970-368-6354.

“You’re allowed to videotape. You’re allowed to loudly say, ‘ICE is in the area,’ You’re allowed to tell people, ‘Know your rights; you don’t have to open your door,'” McQueeney said. “That’s our role is just know how we can be an ally and how the community can be an ally.”

Vail Police Chief Ryan Kenney said ICE officials in Colorado have consistently told him they are looking for people with felony warrants when they’re operating in Eagle County. Kenney points to a state law prohibiting local law enforcement from enforcing federal immigration laws.

“They have done nothing that I know of to countermand what they’ve told me,” Kenney said. “I’m not telling people not to be worried; that’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is what I’ve seen so far is it’s very specific enforcement here. Now, I know that that can change at any minute … but we don’t care about (immigration status). It’s not something we even consider or even ask. We want people to know that we’re here to serve them and that that will not change.”

Call 911 for emergencies or Vail PD at 970-479-2200 for non-emergencies. Another local advocacy group, Voces Unidas, can be reached at 970-340-8501. People also can reach out to the new Colorado Attorney General’s Office public complaint system with ICE concerns.

Avon Police Chief Greg Daly celebrates the diversity that built Vail, and he notes that Vail itself was in part founded by European immigrants from ski-mad nations such as Austria and Germany.

“One of the great things about our community is it is very diverse in all different aspects of diversity,” Daly told the Gazette newspapers in December. “From a cultural perspective, we have a lot of immigrants from lots of different countries here that make this area so successful. One of the reasons I celebrate is I’m an immigrant myself. I arrived here in the Vail Valley in 1994, and I am proud of my U.S. citizenship, but I’m also proud of being Irish and my culture (in) Ireland.”

Daly said about 50% of the population of Avon identifies as Latino or Hispanic, and therefore five of his officers and one of his administrators are bilingual.

Asked if he is surprised that President Trump — who has used both J-1 visa recipients and even undocumented workers at his hotels and golf resorts — is not more sympathetic to the needs of resort areas, Vail Mayor Barry Davis said this in a recent phone interview:

“The law-and-order strawman is using a red herring to distract from the real law-and-order issues in our country,” Davis said. “Let’s pretend this was the most important law enforcement issue that our country was facing, if you’re not addressing the negative consequences of how it’s affecting our community, it’s tone deaf. No one’s called me today saying they feel safer.”

Vail business owner and Town Council member Jonathan Staufer said he had to shut down early last week because his J-1 (cultural exchange student visa) staff member was afraid, despite legally working in one of America’s most famous ski towns.

“The entire point of a republic is that people don’t have to live in fear. I wish the Republican Party would start remembering that,” Staufer said. “In order for Vail to function, you need both ends. You need people to work in those places, you need people to shop and dine in those places. And the Mexican community is a huge part of what makes Vail work.”