Democratic lawmakers in Colorado are now openly encouraging actions that mirror the very tactics fueling chaos and violence in Minneapolis, raising serious questions about how far elected officials are willing to go in their opposition to federal immigration enforcement.
On Sunday, Colorado State Rep. Yara Zokaie and State Sen. Julie Gonzales posted videos urging supporters to impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations by joining so-called “rapid response” networks. Their calls came as riots erupted in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti during a confrontation tied to an ICE operation that the Department of Homeland Security described as targeted.
Zokaie declared flatly that Pretti was “murdered” and went well beyond protest rhetoric. In her video, she warned of consequences for ICE agents themselves, including efforts to disqualify them from future employment with state agencies. She then directed viewers to report ICE activity through a rapid response hotline. “Know that we have a rapid response network,” Zokaie said, urging people to call in sightings of federal agents.
Gonzales echoed the message, recording her own video emblazoned with “ABOLISH ICE.” She encouraged Coloradans to attend “know your rights” trainings and to save the Colorado Rapid Response Network hotline in their phones, framing the effort as documentation and community defense. What she did not mention is how similar networks have operated elsewhere.
In Minnesota, rapid response networks have been exposed tracking ICE vehicles in real time, broadcasting their locations, and summoning crowds to confront agents—often leading to physical assaults and dangerous standoffs.
Independent journalist Cam Higby obtained a manual used by one such network that instructs participants to avoid mentioning ICE directly and instead report “armed men” allegedly preparing to attack someone or claim a kidnapping is underway. Those tactics blur the line between activism and deliberate deception, with obvious risks for both law enforcement and the public.
The confrontations that led to the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good both occurred amid rapid-response mobilizations against ICE operations targeting illegal immigrants with criminal records. Yet rather than reassessing the dangers of these tactics, Zokaie announced plans to introduce legislation aimed directly at ICE agents, labeling them “fascist thugs” and declaring that abolition, not reform, is the goal.
The timing is especially stark. Since President Donald Trump resumed aggressive immigration enforcement, attacks on ICE agents have surged dramatically. According to DHS, assaults are up more than 1,300%, vehicular attacks have increased over 3,000%, and death threats against agents have risen by 8,000%. Against that backdrop, elected officials urging citizens to track and confront federal agents is not abstract protest—it is an accelerant.
The approach is spreading. California Rep. Eric Swalwell, now running for governor, has pledged to punish ICE agents by denying them driver’s licenses and barring them from state employment. What began as rhetoric is hardening into policy proposals.
