MayDay ICE Presence
Indivisible Grand Junction has verified the presence of a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)/ICE agent at the recent May Day Union Information & Sign-Up event on Friday, May 1 at the Lowell School. The individual identified himself inconsistently as “Tony” and “Mike,” claimed conflicting ties to the area, and was observed photographing and mingling with attendees under false pretenses.
Members of the Colorado Rapid Response Network were able to confirm his identity and provided video evidence indicating that this individual is a ranking HSI/ICE officer who works directly with ICE in Grand Junction.
We unequivocally condemn any surveillance, infiltration, or intimidation of community members engaged in protected First Amendment activity. ICE agents have no legitimate role at a union event, or any other event in our community. Misrepresenting identity to gain access and gather information is a deliberate attempt to monitor and undermine lawful civic participation.
We understand that some may be inclined to view friendly interactions with agents as an olive branch or a good faith attempt to connect. But it’s important to be clear: This is about the use of government power to surveil communities, discourage participation, and create a chilling effect on free speech. Friendly or informal conversation, or asking for help or resources, is a common manipulation tactic to get people to lower their guard and distract from ICE’s work of kidnapping, imprisoning, and torturing our neighbors. Treating these actions as benign or neighborly only obscures their real impact and danger to our community.
The presence of ICE in community spaces erodes trust and places a particular burden on immigrant and marginalized community members, who are already disproportionately targeted and for whom the risks are not theoretical.
We are addressing this openly because ignoring it would put our community at greater risk. Recent reporting and public records continue to raise serious concerns about coordination, monitoring, and data-sharing related to local organizing efforts, including in Glenwood and in Grand Junction.
Indivisible Grand Junction is committed to protecting the safety, privacy, and rights of those who engage with our work, those who's minds are changing with this administration, and those who do not yet share our stance. We encourage our entire community to stay informed, look out for one another, and remain grounded in the understanding that transparency protects a healthy democracy.
