ICE Denies Acting Improperly in Colorado Arrests During Festival on Father's Day

Immigration agents in Colorado are accused by an immigrant rights group of acting zealously when they made arrests at a community festival on Father's Day. (AP2008)

An immigrant rights group in Colorado says immigration agents raided a strawberry festival on Father's Day in pursuit of two brothers who were treated roughly by them and arrested in front of their children, as well as other children who were there.

"The fact that [immigration agents] and local police went after dads at the carnival on Father's Day has been spreading throughout the immigrant community," published reports quoted Brendan Greene of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition as saying. "This has the potential to negatively impact the success of Strawberry Days for years to come."

Officials with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whose agents are accused by CIRC of acting improperly at the festival, dispute the group's characterization of what happened.

The officials say they did arrest suspected gang members during the community festival in Glenwood Springs, but not under the conditions described by CIRC, which says ICE violated federal policies.

Federal and Garfield County sheriff's officials also dispute the controversial version of events. Authorities said Thursday that no arrests were made on Father's Day. They say officers approached the brothers, Julio and Cesar Alvarez, and a third man the day before, and not in front of children.

Authorities say one of the brothers and the third man had previously been deported and were taken into custody. The other brother was issued a summons.

This is based on a story by The Associated Press.