Grand Junction residents are on edge after video surfaced Tuesday morning showing federal ICE agents conducting what appears to be an immigration enforcement action in the heart of downtown.
The footage, sent to KJCT News 8, captures several officers wearing vests clearly marked “POLICE – ICE” surrounding a pulled-over vehicle near 9th Street and Pitkin Avenue around 10:40 a.m.
What the Video Shows
The 18-second clip is short but unmistakable.
A silver sedan sits on the curb with multiple marked and unmarked vehicles behind it. At least five agents in dark tactical vests stand near the passenger side. One appears to be speaking with someone inside the car while others maintain positions around the scene.
The vests read “POLICE – ICE” in large white letters, leaving no doubt these are federal immigration agents, not local police.
Grand Junction Police Department confirmed Tuesday afternoon they were not involved in the stop and had no prior notice of the operation.
ICE Denver Office Goes Silent
KJCT repeatedly contacted the Denver ICE Field Office throughout Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning, no spokesperson has returned calls or provided any information about the incident.
Sources familiar with ICE operations in western Colorado say the agency rarely gives advance notice of street-level enforcement actions, especially when working with fugitive operations teams.
This particular stop matches the pattern of recent targeted arrests rather than workplace raids or large-scale sweeps.
Community Reaction Builds Fast
Word spread quickly through Spanish-language radio and WhatsApp groups across the Western Slope. By Tuesday evening, local immigrant advocacy groups were fielding calls from worried families.
“This is exactly what people feared would happen,” said Maria Lopez, a longtime Grand Junction resident and volunteer with the Western Colorado Latino Coalition. “People are scared to go to work, take kids to school, or even go shopping downtown now.”
Several parents kept children home from school Wednesday as a precaution.
Similar Sightings Reported Across Colorado
This is not an isolated incident.
In the past ten days alone, confirmed ICE operations have been reported in:
- Montrose (October 28)
- Delta (November 2)
- Glenwood Springs (November 4)
- Aurora (multiple dates)
Local attorneys who handle immigration cases say they have seen a sharp increase in detention notices for clients with old removal orders or criminal convictions, exactly the priority categories announced by the incoming Trump administration.
What Residents Should Know Right Now
Immigration attorneys are urging people to remember their rights if approached by ICE:
- You have the right to remain silent
- You do not have to open the door if agents come to your home
- You can ask to see a judicial warrant before any arrest
- Do not sign anything without speaking to an attorney
Local legal aid organizations have set up emergency hotlines and are offering free “know your rights” workshops this week in Grand Junction, Clifton, and Palisade.
The incident has reopened old debates in Mesa County about whether local law enforcement should continue limited cooperation with ICE through the 287(g) program, which allows trained deputies to process immigration paperwork in the jail.
While Grand Junction residents have grown accustomed to seeing Border Patrol checkpoints on the highways, seeing federal immigration agents conducting street arrests in the middle of downtown feels different to many.
One longtime resident who witnessed the stop told KJCT, “I’ve lived here 25 years and never seen anything like this on our streets. It felt like something you see on the news happening somewhere else.”
As federal immigration enforcement ramps up nationwide, the events of Tuesday morning in Grand Junction serve as a stark reminder that the Western Slope is not immune from the changing political reality in Washington.
Many families are now waiting, watching, and wondering who might be next.
What did you see Tuesday morning? Did this incident affect your family or someone you know? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and if you’re talking about it on social media, use #GrandJunctionICE so others can find the conversation.
