The Minnesota ICE operation and the deaths of two U.S. citizens have fueled unease in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, a narrowly held GOP seat. Rep. Gabe Evans calls for ICE to target criminals rather than law‑abiding immigrants and will press DHS officials on administrative warrant claims. Hispanic voters report fear of racial profiling, while some longtime Trump supporters remain backing enforcement. Shifts in sentiment could affect turnout and threaten the GOP’s slim House majority.
Minnesota ICE Crackdown Reverberates in Colorado’s Swing 8th District, Threatening Narrow GOP Hold
A protester holds American flag while waving at motorists Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, from an overpass along Interstate 25 in Northglenn, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
GREELEY, Colo. — The federal immigration operation in Minnesota and the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, have rippled across Colorado’s competitive 8th Congressional District, reshaping opinions among voters who once backed President Donald Trump.
Miranda Niedermeier, 35, a former Trump supporter, said she initially welcomed tougher enforcement aimed at immigrants in the U.S. illegally who had committed crimes. But she has become increasingly disillusioned after what she describes as heavy-handed tactics.
FILE - Colorado Rep. Gabe Evans talks to well-wishers before the first Republican primary debate for the state's 8th Congressional district seat, Jan. 25, 2024, in Fort Lupton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“In the beginning, they were getting criminals, but now they're tearing people out of immigration proceedings, looking for the tiniest traffic infraction” to deport someone, Niedermeier said. “It shouldn't be life and death. We're not a Third World country. What the hell is going on?”
Republican Congressman Urges ICE To Target Criminals
Republican Rep. Gabe Evans, who won the 8th District in 2024 by 2,449 votes out of more than 333,000 cast, has pushed the administration to prioritize deporting immigrants with criminal records rather than otherwise law‑abiding residents. Evans, a former police officer with a Mexican American mother, summed it up bluntly: “gangbangers, not grandmas.”
Evans said he is concerned about assertions from Immigration and Customs Enforcement that it can use an administrative warrant to search homes rather than a warrant signed by a judge. He plans to press Department of Homeland Security officials on that point at an upcoming House hearing.
Montie Milner, center, helps paint a protest sign Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, in a church basement in Northglenn, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Still, Evans blamed Democrats for amplifying the perception that ICE is out of control, arguing that political rhetoric is stoking fear ahead of the midterms. He said ICE operations in his district have been narrowly tailored to criminal targets rather than the meatpacking plants, dairies and other industries that rely on immigrant labor.
Voters Are Torn
About four in 10 voters in the 8th District are Hispanic, and in more than two dozen interviews across the region every Hispanic voter who spoke said the Minnesota surge offended them. Many U.S. citizens expressed fear that they or family members could be mistakenly targeted.
Protesters wave at motorists Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, from an overpass along Interstate 25 in Northglenn, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“I don't know if, just because of my last name or how I look, they might go after me,” said Jennifer Hernandez, 30, as she entered a Walmart in Brighton.
Other residents said they still support tougher enforcement. Herb Smith, 61, a Trump voter who once lived in Minneapolis, said he believes stronger action is necessary to address crime. Dominic Morrison, 39, said he does not like to see people die but thinks laws must be enforced.
A sign against Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo, hangs from a fence Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026, from an overpass along Interstate 25 in Northglenn, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Racial Profiling, Fear And Potential Turnout Shift
Local Democrats said the enforcement surge has enraged many and faulted Evans and the White House for offering no meaningful pushback. Some citizens in immigrant communities describe feeling as if they are "walking on eggshells," fearful of being detained despite U.S. citizenship.
Joe Hernandez, 27, said he and his four U.S.-born siblings have discussed moving to family property in Mexico for safety. He did not vote in 2024 but now plans to participate — and he believes others in his community may do the same.
Political strategists say even a small shift in sentiment matters in a district decided by a narrow margin. If concern over immigration enforcement grows among moderate Republicans, independents and Hispanic voters, it could imperil Republican seats like Evans' and influence control of the U.S. House this fall.
What To Watch: Whether outrage over the Minnesota operation and questions about ICE authority drive higher turnout among Hispanic voters and disillusion moderate Trump supporters in the 8th District.
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