AURORA, Colo. — Three people were arrested during a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thursday night in Aurora.
According to the Aurora Police Department, the three people arrested are males. Their charges include obstruction, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
The protest occurred in a suburban neighborhood where the warden of the ICE Processing Center in Aurora lives.
It was organized by Abolish ICE Denver. Denver Communists and Denver Action Network also participated in the demonstration.
APD says no one was injured in the protests.
Aurora police Chief Nick Metz called the protesters’ actions “vile” and “disgusting.”
What I saw tonite by many of U who protested in residential cmty w/children was vile&disgusting. @AuroraPD protects free speech, but your message was completely lost. U were out of your league. My cops were simply AMAZING despite your attempts to bait them into a confrontation! pic.twitter.com/nMwvsZekNH
— Nick Metz (Ret. Police Chief) (@Code4Metz) September 20, 2019
Following the protest, the GEO Group — which operates the Aurora facility — issued the following statement condemning the protests:
“Tonight we breathe a sigh of relief that our employee’s family and his neighbors are safe and their properties remain intact. Unfortunately, the spectacle has set a new low in our politics and public discourse.
“We hope the community support and pushback from brave leaders opposing this dangerous idea will serve as a deterrent for any future protests targeting people in their family’s homes and neighborhoods. These misdirected attacks and intimidation of our employees must stop and we encourage our local leaders to stand against these hateful tactics and push for a return to civil discourse. Remember, our employees are also your neighbors, friends and colleagues, who share the same compassion and professionalism that many other Coloradans pursue in their trades.
“We continue to believe that these activists seeking open borders or other changes to our immigration laws should direct their thoughts and ideas to our elected leaders in their constituent offices. We can’t solve the immigration crisis from our facilities but as we’ve done over the past 30 years in Aurora, we’ll continue to provide the same high-quality, professional services we provided to both Democratic and Republican administrations.”