Colorado Springs City Council member Dave Donelson abruptly left Tuesdays council meeting after a pastor condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions during public comments supporting a Martin Luther King Jr. Day proclamation. The heated exchange exposed deep divisions on the council just one week after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman with local ties in Minneapolis.
The joint proclamation with Mayor Yemi Mobolade officially recognized January 19, 2026, as Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the city. Several faith leaders spoke in favor of the measure, but the tone shifted when Reverend Josh Rumple of First Congregational Church tied the civil rights icons legacy to current immigration enforcement.
Pastor Invokes MLK Legacy Against ICE Actions
Rumple told the council that Dr. King would stand against what he called unjust, immoral, and blatantly sinful ICE operations.
My faith calls me to stand in solidarity with the stranger, with the foreigner, my neighbors, Rumple said. And I will not sit silently when violence is reaped upon my neighbors.
His remarks came amid nationwide protests following the December 27 shooting death of 31-year-old Luiza Cruz, a Brazilian national who grew up in Colorado Springs. Federal agents killed Cruz during an attempted arrest in Minneapolis, an incident that has sparked demonstrations from Denver to Dallas.
Donelson Defends ICE and Leaves Meeting
Council member Dave Donelson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, immediately pushed back.
Those laws were passed by our elected representatives and supported by the vast majority of the citizens of the United States, Donelson said. I find what was said here offensive, and I didnt even like sitting here listening to it.
He then stood and walked out of the chamber.
Council member Kimberly Gold welcomed the tension.
Im actually quite glad that todays public comment in support of MLK has brought fiery conversation, Gold said. Because Dr. MLK was a fiery person, he had to be in order to create change.
Key Statements from Tuesdays Meeting
- Reverend Josh Rumple: Called ICE actions unjust, immoral, and blatantly sinful
- Dave Donelson: Stated he found the criticism offensive and left the chamber
- Kimberly Gold: Praised the fiery spirit as necessary for continued change
Donelson returned later and joined other council members for a photo with Mayor Mobolade after the proclamation passed.
Growing Tension Over Immigration Enforcement in Colorado Springs
The walkout marks the second public confrontation involving ICE in Colorado Springs in recent weeks. Local activist groups have held three separate protests since Cruzs death, including a candlelight vigil outside the federal courthouse that drew more than 400 people.
Colorado Springs has become a flashpoint in the national immigration debate despite its strong military community and traditionally conservative politics. El Paso County voted 56 percent for President Trump in 2024, yet the city has seen growing progressive activism on immigrant rights issues.
The incident follows a pattern of increasing friction at city council meetings over federal immigration enforcement, with similar disruptions occurring in Aurora and Denver earlier this year.
Share this story if you believe local government should remain civil even during passionate disagreements, and let us know in the comments whether you think Council member Donelsons walkout was justified.
