Additional Coverage:
- ICE mistakenly arrests father and two children and holds them 36 hours in ‘torture’ with shackles (themirror.com)
Mistaken Identity Leads to Controversial Arrests, Community Outcry in Durango
Durango, CO – A case of mistaken identity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has sparked outrage and protests in Durango, following the arrest and detention of a Colorado father and his two children. The family endured a harrowing 36 hours in ICE custody, marked by allegations of mistreatment and humiliation, before the error was brought to light.
The incident unfolded Monday morning when Fernando Jaramillo-Solano, 45, was stopped by ICE agents in Durango while driving his 15-year-old son, Kewin Daniel Patiño Bustamante, and 12-year-old daughter, Jana Michel Jaramillo Patiño, to school. According to a news release issued Friday by Compañeros: The Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center, which includes direct testimony from the family, agents were reportedly searching for a different individual. An ICE officer later confirmed in a Denver court hearing that agents were unaware they had apprehended the wrong person, according to The Denver Post.
Compañeros further stated that the arrest was made without a warrant, a practice not always required but notable in this instance. The immigrant assistance charity has detailed a disturbing account of the family’s time in detention in Durango, alleging they were mistreated, humiliated, and denied adequate meals.
Among the most concerning allegations, Jaramillo-Solano’s 12-year-old daughter was reportedly forced to use a single restroom in an open area with male officers present. Jaramillo-Solano himself claims ICE officials struck him when he asked questions, and his son described shackles so tight they caused swelling and bruising.
“Every time I asked what would happen to my children, or if they could have something to eat, they hit us,” Jaramillo-Solano stated in the release. “They told me I did not matter.
They told me my children did not matter.” He described his stay at the Durango ICE field office as “torture,” adding, “We did not see sunlight.
The three of us were confined in a tiny cell, with no food, and with our hands, waist, and feet shackled. We were devastated.”
News of the family’s detention quickly ignited community anger, leading to demonstrations outside the ICE field office in Durango on Monday and Tuesday. Tensions escalated on Tuesday when federal agents reportedly deployed pepper spray and rubber bullets to disperse protestors from the facility’s gates.
On Tuesday, Jaramillo-Solano and his children were transferred to a federal detention facility in Dilly, Texas. The family reported receiving better treatment at this new location. In their statement, the family extended their gratitude to the Durango demonstrators.
“When they finally took us outside and we saw all the people supporting us, we felt strength return,” Jaramillo-Solano shared. “That sight filled me with hope and gave me the courage to keep going.
From inside the black car, I tried to wave to everyone to say thank you, so many thanks, but I do not think anyone saw us. I am deeply grateful for every person who stood with us.
I never could have imagined that kind of support.”
This incident has raised significant questions about ICE’s arrest protocols and the treatment of individuals in custody, prompting a lawsuit contesting ICE’s arrest procedures in Colorado.