A Colorado advocacy group said it found “racist” ace of spades playing cards listing the address of a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility inside the cars of people detained by the agency.
Alex Sanchez, CEO and president of the immigrant rights group Voces Unidas, told local outlet 9NEWS that at least two of these cards were found by the families of people detained by ICE agents last week.
The ace of spades cards list the name, address and phone number of the ICE Denver field office, according to photos shared by the organization. The group claims ICE agents left these cards behind.
The advocacy group compared them to the “death cards” used by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War.
“The ace of spades has a long history as a tool of intimidation, from psychological warfare during the Vietnam War to its adoption by white supremacist groups to demean people of color,” the organization said in a statement.
“ICE’s decision to leave this card behind after targeting Latino workers through fake traffic stops was not incidental. It was deliberate psychological harassment. This is not about public safety. It is about fear and control,” the statement continues.
Sanchez said he’s “disgusted” by the incident.
“Leaving a racist death card behind after targeting Latino workers is deliberate intimidation rooted in a long history of racial violence. This is an abuse of power, and it has no place in any society that claims to value human dignity,” he said in a statement.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the situation is under investigation, and that ICE “unequivocally condemns this type of action and/or officer conduct.”
“Once notified, ICE supervisors acted swiftly to address the issue. The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a thorough investigation and will take appropriate and swift action,” the spokesperson told The Independent.
The Independent has contacted Voces Unidas for comment.
This comes as the immigration agency faces ongoing scrutiny over its tactics, particularly in Minneapolis, where two U.S. citizens have been shot and killed by federal immigration agents this month.
President Donald Trump sent border czar Tom Homan to oversee ICE operations in Minnesota on Monday, though the White House maintains the president still has “confidence” in Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
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