In the center of a bustling intersection in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs is a statue of city founder William J. Palmer astride his horse. Palmer was a lifelong civil rights advocate, a Quaker abolitionist who broke the religion’s doctrine of nonviolence to become a general in the Union Army, writing to his church leaders that he did so “because slavery is a greater evil than war.” (Read “Springs founder William Jackson Palmer was a riot-inciting civil rights activist” by The Gazette for a great quick portrait of Palmer.)
If Palmer were alive today, one might imagine he’d be critical of the Trump administration’s massive immigrant roundup, which has sparked protests around the country, including in Colorado Springs. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) says federal immigration agents currently pose “a variety of threats to civil liberties” including concerns around “the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, the constitutional guarantee of due process, and the constitutional guarantee of equal protection and freedom from discrimination based on race, ethnicity, and national origin.”
Next to the statue of Palmer and his horse is his namesake high school.
On the morning of Feb. 13, what were presumably Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents arrested a man near William J. Palmer High School while school was in session. The branch of DHS that typically carries out arrests in the interior of the country is Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
That morning, a witness called the Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORRN) – a statewide hotline that verifies reports of ICE activity and offers legal and humanitarian resources – and reported masked agents in tactical gear detaining an apparently Hispanic male close to the high school. The witness told CORRN the agents were using unmarked vehicles.
Later that day, Palmer Principal Krista Burke sent an email to student families, offering counseling to students who may have witnessed the arrest, acknowledging that “situations like this can feel unsettling.”
Full text of principal’s email to families
Dear Palmer Families,
This afternoon, we confirmed with the Colorado Springs Police Department that law enforcement activity occurred off campus on Boulder Street near Palmer High School at about 9:15 am. We immediately gathered information and verified that the individual involved is not affiliated with our school community.
At no time was there any disruption to learning or safety inside the school, and our campus remained secure throughout the morning. We recognize that some students or families may have witnessed the activity and understand that situations like this can feel unsettling.
Our counselors and student support staff are available for any student who would like to talk. We remain in close communication with local law enforcement and will continue to monitor any information relevant to our community.
If your student has questions or concerns at home, we encourage open conversation and are happy to support you if helpful. Thank you for your partnership and for trusting us with your children each day.
My best,
Krista Burke
Principal
CSPD says it believes arrest made by DHS – and it doesn’t know anything else
A CORRN representative said she was unsure whether the incident was confirmed as as an ICE action. The Pikes Peak Bulletin reached out to Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) for comment, asking if the incident had been confirmed as an arrest by federal agents.
CSPD Public Relations Manager Ira Cronin said, “A CSPD [School Resource Officer], along with a D11 security team member, reviewed the [Palmer security] video of the traffic stop and arrest of the individual in question when it was brought to their attention that day. License plate records also determined the vehicle had been queried by the Department of Homeland Security.”
Cronin said the license plate was not visible in the video footage, but was identified from a social media post that has since been deleted. CSPD looked up the plate in the Colorado Crime Information Center database, which is managed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Every law enforcement agency active in the state has access to it.
The video from the high school security camera shows agents in tactical gear make a traffic stop using unmarked vehicles, remove a person from a truck, and lead that person into an agent vehicle. There are no signs of struggle or violence during the arrest – though the video does not include audio. Watch the video here.
In a follow-up email, Cronin clarified that the DHS entity that had looked up the license plate was a branch of ICE known as HSI – Homeland Security Investigations. HSI “conducts federal criminal investigations into the illegal movement of people, goods, money, contraband, weapons and sensitive technology into, out of and through the United States,” according to its website. Cases include drug and weapons smuggling, cyber and financial crime, illegal technology exports and intellectual property crime. HSI says it also plays a “crucial role in investigating crimes of exploitation. This includes combating child exploitation, human trafficking, financial fraud and scams and other crimes against vulnerable populations.”
However, the nonpartisan think tank and advocacy institute The Brennan Center for Justice says HSI also involves itself in routine immigration enforcement.
The Brennan Center says on its website, “HSI emphasizes its investigation and prosecution of a wide array of transnational crime … In reality, however, HSI frequently involves itself in routine immigration enforcement focused on deporting undocumented workers – a responsibility assigned to [Enforcement and Removal Operations] – for violations unrelated to complex criminal investigations. HSI’s broad authorities, coupled with a dearth of transparency, invite abuse and overreach. Repeated incidents, particularly over the course of Donald Trump’s presidency, highlight that few safeguards exist to limit these authorities.
CSPD could not comment on the name of the person detained or the reason.
“[W]e did some initial follow-up on the reports received, we ran the plate, and once we confirmed the HSI had also run the plate, that was it for us,” Cronin said.
The Bulletin submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the name of the person detained and whether he had any charges or convictions. The FOIA tracker puts the estimated wait time for fulfillment of that request at about a month, and notes it could be longer.
An email to ICE asking who was arrested outside Palmer High School on Feb. 13, and if he had criminal charges or convictions, went unanswered.
As the Bulletin has previously reported, ICE does not have a blotter they release publicly. Back in fall of 2025, the Denver ICE office had a spokesperson who sometimes answered emails – that email address has autoresponded since January that he is “out of the office” and says to contact the national media inquiry email address, which has never replied to any of the Bulletin’s inquiries. But at that time, the spokesperson told the Bulletin that “without a name, [date of birth] and/or alien registration number we cannot provide any details on an alien arrest.”
“For operational security and for the safety of our law enforcement personnel, ICE does not confirm, deny, or otherwise discuss ongoing or future operations. The agency publicly announces operational results when appropriate,” the spokesperson said.
If someone you know disappears, you can find out if ICE has them, and where they are being held, using the Online Detainee Locator System – so long as you know their full name and country of origin, or their nine-digit Alien Registration Number, also known as an “A-Number.”
More Q&A with CSPD
The Bulletin asked CSPD, “If ICE does not inform CSPD when an arrest like this will happen, and the agents are masked and in unmarked vehicles (as was the case in this incident, per a witness report), how would a high school student (or anyone) know they are witnessing a legitimate arrest and not a kidnapping?”
Cronin replied, “CSPD does not set or enforce identification procedures of the Department of Homeland Security. If someone believes they are witnessing a crime or incident requiring police response, we encourage them to contact CSPD.”
The Bulletin asked, “Does CSPD have any concerns regarding how they are, or are not, informed of federal immigration enforcement activities?”
Cronin replied, “No, because CSPD does not dictate the procedures or notification practices of the Department of Homeland Security.”
The Bulletin asked, “Has CSPD noticed any changes in its interactions with the local Hispanic and/or immigrant population since the start of the federal immigration sweep?”
Cronin answered, “CSPD is not aware of any identifiable changes in any community group’s behaviors that we can directly attribute to federal immigration enforcement activity.”
School district on immigration enforcement
Palmer High School is part of District 11. Jessica Wise, the district’s executive director of engagement, said the district does not have a formal policy on immigration enforcement on school grounds but pointed to a public statement by the district from January 2025:
District 11 is deeply committed to the education, safety, and well-being of every student we serve. We know that some of our families may have questions or concerns regarding how schools are impacted by federal immigration policies, and we want to reaffirm our dedication to providing all students with access to a safe and supportive learning environment.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s Plyler v. Doe decision ensures that every child, regardless of immigration status, has the right to a free public education. Additionally, Colorado law affirms that school districts cannot deny admission to students based on their immigration status.
In District 11 our focus is, and will continue to be, providing a welcoming environment where students can thrive. Federal and state laws, as well as our district policies, protect students from discrimination or harassment on the basis of immigration status or any other protected class. We do not inquire into or collect information about the immigration status of our students or their families.
We are also committed to maintaining the privacy and dignity of all students and families. While we cooperate with government and law enforcement agencies as required by law, our primary responsibility is to our students’ safety, education, and success.
Thank you for trusting District 11 with your child’s education. We remain focused on fostering a safe, equitable, and supportive learning environment for every student.
