👀 ICE in Colorado: What you need to know

🚨 ICE in Colorado: What You Need to Know

Hundreds of Denverites rallied at the State Capitol Building over the weekend to participate in anti-ICE protests. Following the killings of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal immigration agents — plus case after case of public arrests and detentions — outrage over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown has reached a boiling point across the nation and right here in Colorado.

• ICE on the Ballot: Colorado voters will decide this fall if local law enforcement agencies should work more closely with federal immigration officials. [CO Sun]
• ‘Racist Death Cards’:The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is investigating whether ICE officials in Eagle County left ace of spades playing cards on the vehicles of recently detained immigrants as an intimidation tactic. [CPR]
• ICE’s Plans in Hudson: Community members in and near the town of Hudson are protesting ICE’s plan to open a detention center there, especially when so many details of the plan are being kept under wraps. [Denver Post 🔒]
• Anti-ICE Fundraisers: Several local businesses are hosting fundraisers to publicly condemn ICE and donate money to organizations supporting immigrants and asylum seekers. [Westword]
• 🎧 Dive deeper into the state of ICE in Colorado on today’s episode of the City Cast Denver podcast.

🪧 ‘Unite the Unions’ Event to Take Over Civic Center Today

This afternoon from 3-5 p.m., members of labor unions from across the state will gather together for a workers rights rally at Civic Center Park. In conjunction with week 10 of the Starbucks baristas’ strike, the event was organized by a Starbucks Workers United team out of Colorado Springs. The rally will include coffee, food, music, and family-friendly activities. [SBWU]

🚭 Vape Shops Continue the Fight Against Flavored Tobacco Ban

A group of local vape shops have filed a complaint in Denver District Court challenging the city’s recently enacted — and hotly contested — flavored tobacco ban. The group claims the ban hurts their small businesses and violates their constitutional rights to due process, equal protection, and free speech. [Denver Gazette 🔒]

Get ready pizza-lovers: This fall, Longmont will host the first-ever Colorado Pizza Festival 🍕 🥳

The inaugural event will spotlight pizzerias from across the state while raising funds for local hunger relief organizations. Scheduled for Sept. 5, the event is an initiative by Pizza With Purpose, a new nonprofit founded by three of Longmont’s most popular parlors: Urban Field Pizza (recently honored at the International Pizza Expo), Rosalee’s Pizzeria (named one of the country’s best parlors last year), and Antonio’s Real NY Pizza (a wildly popular personal fave 🙋🏻‍♀️).

While the event — which promises to feature live music, family-friendly festivities, and a Pizza Olympics — will be the organization’s annual signature event, Pizza With Purpose also plans to host a variety of philanthropic endeavors throughout the year, an idea first sparked by the recent pause in federal funding for families facing food insecurity here and across the nation.

The nonprofit’s pizza philanthropy will kick off with National Pizza Day next month, when all three founding restaurants will donate $1 from every pepperoni or cheese pizza sold to Slice Out Hunger (the O.G. national pizza-loving nonprofit combating food insecurity one slice of pie at a time) from Feb. 9-15.

Tickets for the Colorado Pizza Festival go on sale May 1. Follow @pizzawithpurpose on Instagram for updates.