Charges against Mel Flores – the army veteran who was facing three Class 2 misdemeanor charges for allegedly obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surveillance activity in October of last year – were dropped as part of a plea deal in a separate case. That separate case stemmed from Flores “obstructing a highway or passageway” during a Jan. 10 protest in Colorado Springs.
In the initial case, Flores was acting as a confirmer for the Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORRN) – a statewide network that responds to potential ICE activities and offers humanitarian and legal assistance to those affected. He alerted those in the area to the presence of ICE by honking and yelling, and followed the ICE agents’ car in his own vehicle. Law enforcement officials asserted he was driving recklessly; Flores disputed this.
Flores told the Pikes Peak Bulletin that the same values that inspired him to join the Army – to protect and serve – led him to start volunteering as a confirmer for CORRN. Flores said he joined the United States Army when he was 17 and served from 2007 to 2011, and was deployed to Baghdad from 2008 to 2009 as an all-wheel mechanic.
Read “Army veteran facing charges for allegedly obstructing ICE”
The Jan. 10 protest was one of many held nationwide in the wake of an ICE officer shooting and killing legal observer Renee Good in Minneapolis. Good attended the local Coronado High School. On Jan. 10, Flores was part of the crowd – including Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression (COSAARPR) and approximately 100 community members – who gathered in Acacia Park, marched to the El Paso County courthouse, and then took part in a vigil on the steps of City Hall. Flores was one of the speakers who addressed the crowd of protesters.
Read “CO Springs protests Minneapolis ICE shooting”
Flores pleaded guilty to the petty offense of obstructing a highway or passageway during the protest. A petty offense is a low-level criminal charge considered less serious than a misdemeanor. An April 22 Sentence Order in that case directs Flores to pay a $100 fine plus other court costs, totalling $136, and dismisses the misdemeanor charges in the ICE obstruction case as part of the plea agreement.
“I’m glad this is over,” Flores told the Bulletin. “I’m happy I get [to] show there’s nothing to be scared of.”
He said that the experience has made him “more proactive” and he has found “other ways to help the community in addition to confirming, including volunteering with About Face and Migra Watch.
The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), a statewide coalition dedicated to improving the lives of immigrants and refugees, took to social media to hail the dropping of charges against Flores.
“This confirmer is a dedicated community member, father, and veteran who has consistently shown up for their community with compassion and integrity,” CIRC wrote. “They have used their own resources to support families impacted by ICE enforcement, purchasing groceries out of pocket for those in crisis and organizing efforts like assembling Easter baskets for children coping with the trauma of family separation. Their actions reflect the very best of community care.”
