A man who was detained by federal immigration officers, along with his two children in Durango while on their way to school, sparking protests, will be sent to a Texas detention center, officials said Wednesday afternoon.
Fernando Jaramillo-Solano, 45, was detained Monday, with his 12-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son, in Durango, where they have lived for 18 months.
Jaramillo-Solano will be held in ICE custody at the ICE Processing Center in Dilley, Texas, pending immigration proceedings, a statement from an ICE spokesperson said.
The agency declined to comment where his two children are being held but said Jaramillo-Solano was being sent to the ICE family housing unit.
The family’s detention spurred hundreds to gather outside of the ICE facility in Durango on Monday after reports swirled that unidentified officers wearing black masks had pulled them over on the edge of town.
The protest continued through the night and was largely peaceful Tuesday with demonstrators chanting “Let the kids go!” and “Free our neighbors!” Some linked their arms together and sat in front of the ICE facility to try to block federal agents from transferring the children.
Many said it only became violent after unidentified armed officers in camouflage clothing arrived and began to pepper spray protesters, fire rubber bullets and drag them across the ground.
Immigrant advocates said the family is from Colombia and is seeking asylum. They have strong ties to the Durango community and have no criminal record, according to Compañeros: Four Corners Immigrant Resource Center.
Jaramillo-Solano had three jobs, two with cleaning companies and one at a local hotel, often working 80 hours per week to support his wife and children, the center said.
According to ICE, he entered the U.S. Dec. 22, 2024, near San Diego, California.
“The family has followed every legal requirement of the asylum process,” the center said in a statement Wednesday. “Despite this, on October 27, ICE detained the father and his two children — separating them from their mother and leaving her without any information about their whereabouts or well-being.”
Durango police said Tuesday their officers requested to facilitate the release of the children to their mother, but were unsuccessful. The police department received a report that one of the children may have been in distress and “potentially experiencing abuse,” the city said.
Officers tried to conduct a welfare check and bring food, but federal agents denied officers entry to the facility.
“In moments like these, our duty is not only to uphold the law, but to preserve our humanity,” Durango Police Chief Brice Current said in a statement. “While we have a sworn responsibility not to interfere with federal operations, our department advocated for the children’s well-being.”
In a statement Wednesday, an ICE spokesperson did not address the violence that erupted at the ICE facility the day prior. The agency instead raked protesters as “creating unnecessary risks” and blamed them for delaying legal processes by chaining the gate in front of the facility. The statement did not provide further details.
Sen. Michael Bennet said he was outraged by ICE’s response to the protesters.
“These actions are inhumane, and attacking the First Amendment rights of Coloradans is un-American,” the Democratic senator said on social media Wednesday.
The ACLU of Colorado, along with the La Plata County Board of Commissioners, called for an independent review into the federal agents’ treatment of protesters.
“The violent treatment of peaceful protesters makes people feel unsafe and that is not good for our democracy. This is not how we treat our community,” Commissioner Elizabeth Philbrick said in a statement. “Just because something is legal, doesn’t mean it is moral. Our foremost concern is the well-being of all who call La Plata County home.”
Gov. Jared Polis also denounced the detainment and separation of the Jaramillo-Solano and said he was not informed about the operation.
“The federal government’s lack of transparency about its immigration actions in Durango and in the free state of Colorado remains extremely maddening,” Polis wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday. “The federal government should prioritize apprehending and prosecuting dangerous criminals, no matter where they come from, and keep our communities safe instead of snatching up children and breaking up families.”
He said his office has not been informed that any of the family members are suspected of any crimes.
Durango police requested assistance from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to look into an incident in which a federal agent threw a 57-year-old woman to the ground Tuesday morning. A spokesperson from CBI said the agency is still considering whether or not to open an investigation.
Corrections:
This story was updated at 7:15 p.m., Oct. 29, 2025, to correctly identify Josh Stephenson as the photographer who took the main story image, depicting federal agents pulling Drew Collie by the arms.