Most arrested in Loveland raid free on bond
written by: Douglas Crowl, Loveland Connection, posted by: Sara Gandy 6 hrs ago Toolbox: Read Comments (42)Recommend (0)Print Article Email Article Smaller Larger

LOVELAND - Thirteen of the 18 people arrested by federal agents earlier this month during an immigration raid at Colorado Precast are free on bond and awaiting further court proceedings, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.


ICE spokesman Carl Rusnok said Monday that a 14th person was awarded bond but has not paid it, while the remaining four were denied bond and remain in custody at a detention facility in Aurora.

Names of those taken into custody will not be released.

"The bond situation is granted to people who are not a flight risk ... or are not considered to be a threat to the public," Rusnok said.

It's not clear if the 13 people free on bond returned to their homes.

ICE agents raided Colorado Precast Inc. July 16 after receiving a tip that the company was employing illegal immigrants, according to ICE.

Agents arrested 18 people and took them to the Park County Jail.

Two days later, representatives from the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network traveled to the Park County Jail to inform the detainees of their rights and to connect them with volunteer attorneys, said Mekela Goehring, executive director of RMIAN.

"If you don't have the money for a private immigration attorney, you have to represent yourself," she said.

Bond amounts were eventually reduced from about $10,000 to the $1,500 to $3,000 range, Goehring said.

On July 19, volunteers for Fuerza Latina also met with about 50 family members of most of the 18 people arrested to talk about their rights and options, according Fuerza Latina.

The group also has established a relief fund for the families, called the Fuerza Latina Relief Fund.

Rusnok couldn't comment on when future court proceedings would be set because the cases are under the jurisdiction of the executive office for Immigration Review in Washington, D.C.

A spokeswoman with that office said she could not comment on the case Monday.

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