Full Breakdown
Colorado Immigration Officer Charged After Durango ICE Protest
4/24/2026, 11:51:48 PM
Incident Overview
On Oct. 28, 2025, outside the ICE facility in Durango, Colorado, CBP Officer Nicholas Rice seized a protester’s phone, grabbed her, and pushed her to the ground. District Attorney Sean Murray filed third-degree assault and criminal-mischief charges on April 23, 2026. Rice will appear in La Plata County court in May.
Context and Key Participants
The protest followed ICE’s Oct. 27 detention of Fernando Jaramillo-Solano, a Colombian asylum-seeker, and his two children, later deemed misidentified. Franci Stagi (Anne Francesca Stagi) says Rice placed her in a chokehold and caused arm pain. Chief Brice Current asked the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to probe.
Legal Charges and Proceedings
Rice faces third-degree assault, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year, and criminal-mischief for damaging Stagi’s phone. Court filings list the assault charge but omit details on the alleged chokehold or injuries. No attorney is listed for Rice.
Official Statements
District Attorney Sean Murray said the charges comply with state law. A DHS spokesperson called the prosecution “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt,” arguing only federal agencies may investigate officers acting in duty and that states lack authority. DHS said it is gathering facts.
Criticism & Opposition
Governor Jared Polis and Democrats condemned the ICE arrests as “snatching up children and breaking up families.” Advocacy groups cite the case as a pattern of alleged excessive force, noting at least 17 similar incidents under investigation in Minnesota.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Video shows Rice seizing Stagi’s phone and pushing her, but accounts differ on a chokehold. Court documents list an assault charge without mentioning a chokehold or injuries. The district attorney is Sean Murray in Colorado reports and Eric P. Murray in a Fox News article.
Data Snapshot
Demonstrators numbered several dozen. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation conducted the probe at Chief Brice Current’s request. Colorado banned chokeholds in 2020 and expanded the prohibition with the 2021 “George Floyd” law.
Verbatim Quotes
- “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt.” — DHS spokesperson
- “Federal officers acting in the course of their duties can only be investigated by other federal agencies,” — DHS spokesperson
- “snatching up children and breaking up families.” — Gov. Jared Polis
- “It did open my eyes to how quickly I can be under someone else’s control, and it’s frightening,” — Anne Francesca Stagi
- “the largest deportation operation in the history of our country,” — President Donald Trump
What’s Next
Rice is scheduled for a May 2026 court appearance. Colorado lawmakers intend to vote on a bill permitting civil suits against immigration officers for constitutional violations later this session. The DHS investigation remains ongoing, and federal authorities have indicated they will continue reviewing the incident.
