ICE launches investigation into ace of spade cards

ICE condemned the placing of ace of spade cards on vehicles in Eagle County, adding it’s investigating the incident, the agency said Friday.

The big picture: The cards were found inside two abandoned cars belonging to people who ICE detained in the Western Slope county on Wednesday, Alex Sanchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas, tells us.

According to Sanchez, family members of the people detained found the cards, which were printed with the address of an ICE field office and detention facility in Aurora.
Voces Unidas is an immigrant advocacy nonprofit based in Glenwood Springs that provides resources and legal aid to people in 15 counties in the region.

Between the lines: U.S. soldiers used the ace of spades as an intimidation tactic during the Vietnam War, something Voces Unidas in a blog post Wednesday alleged immigration authorities were attempting to replicate.

Why it matters: The incident arrives as the federal law enforcement agency supercharged under President Trump faces continued scrutiny over its tactics.

State of play: ICE “unequivocally condemned” the incident, noting supervisors “acted swiftly to address the issue,” per a statement provided to Axios on Friday from an unnamed Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.

“The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a thorough investigation and will take appropriate and swift action,” the statement continues.

What they’re saying: “This is evil, this is cruel,” Sanchez told us Friday, saying they were placed to “send a message” to the region’s Latino community.

Zoom in: ICE detained at least nine people in Eagle County on Wednesday, according to verified arrests by Sanchez’s nonprofit, which they confirmed by speaking to family members.

Most people detained Wednesday were arrested through traffic stops, while one person was detained while walking near a bus stop. The people detained came from Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Peru.

By the numbers: The nonprofit has recorded 129 reports of ICE activity this month in the Western Slope as of Friday, per its own data.

Source: ICE launches investigation into ace of spade cards