Federal agents left "death cards" at the scene of a fake traffic stop, leaving a Latino family shaken and raising concerns about ICE's tactics.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers allegedly employed red and blue flashing lights to mimic those of local law enforcement agencies, duping people into pulling over. The occupants of the vehicles had been taken away by federal agents late last month in what a local immigrant rights group calls “fake traffic stops.”
When family members arrived on the scene in Eagle County, Colorado, their loved ones had already been disappeared by federal agents. However, they found something disturbing inside the vehicles: a customized ace of spades playing card — popularly known as a “death card” — that read “ICE Denver Field Office.”
The custom-made cards are reminiscent of those used during the Vietnam War to adorn Vietnamese corpses with "death cards." These same symbols have been spotted on patches worn by ICE agents in Minnesota, further fueling concerns about the agency's tactics.
Voces Unidas, a local immigrant rights group, expressed outrage over the actions of ICE. The group's president and CEO, Alex Sánchez, said that leaving such a card behind is an act of intimidation. This practice "is rooted in a very long history of racial violence," he added.
It’s not clear how widespread this tactic might be or whether similar incidents are happening elsewhere but may not be reported. The community served by Voces Unidas does not trust local law enforcement officers, elected officials, or mainstream human rights groups, making it difficult for them to find out about such incidents.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers allegedly employed red and blue flashing lights to mimic those of local law enforcement agencies, duping people into pulling over. The occupants of the vehicles had been taken away by federal agents late last month in what a local immigrant rights group calls “fake traffic stops.”
When family members arrived on the scene in Eagle County, Colorado, their loved ones had already been disappeared by federal agents. However, they found something disturbing inside the vehicles: a customized ace of spades playing card — popularly known as a “death card” — that read “ICE Denver Field Office.”
The custom-made cards are reminiscent of those used during the Vietnam War to adorn Vietnamese corpses with "death cards." These same symbols have been spotted on patches worn by ICE agents in Minnesota, further fueling concerns about the agency's tactics.
Voces Unidas, a local immigrant rights group, expressed outrage over the actions of ICE. The group's president and CEO, Alex Sánchez, said that leaving such a card behind is an act of intimidation. This practice "is rooted in a very long history of racial violence," he added.
It’s not clear how widespread this tactic might be or whether similar incidents are happening elsewhere but may not be reported. The community served by Voces Unidas does not trust local law enforcement officers, elected officials, or mainstream human rights groups, making it difficult for them to find out about such incidents.
i cant believe icen agents would stoop so low & leave death cards at the scene lol what r they even thinkin?! 
its like a bad movie or somethin. fams gettin shook just thinkin bout it 
& now theres all these conspiracy theories goin 'round. i feel 4 the community, tho 
voces unidas is doin good work keepin people informed & lookin out for each other 
maybe ppl in power will take some notice & make some changes 
or watever it takes to stop dis kinda intimidation 
u gotta wonder what's goin on with ICE & their tactics, fam? Leavin' these "death cards" at fake traffic stops is straight up intimidation & has nothin to do with keepin the community safe 
. Its like they're tryna control people through fear rather than build trust. And it's not just the Latino community that's gettin affected, its anyone who comes across them as a "target" 
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. It's like they're tryin to make people remember somethin traumatic & associate it with ICE 
. We need more transparency & accountability 
, and less fear-mongerin' 
. Its 2025, we gotta do betta 
ICE needs to get its act together and stop using these tactics ASAP 
THIS IS SO UNACCEPTABLE!!! ICE NEEDS TO GET ITS ACT TOGETHER AND STOP PLAYING GAMES WITH PEOPLE'S LIVES! LEAVING "DEATH CARDS" AT THE SCENE OF THESE FAKE TRAFFIC STOPS IS A CLEAR EXAMPLE OF INTIMIDATION TACTICS. IT'S LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO SUGGEST THAT IF YOU DON'T COMPLY, THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES... WELL LET ME TELL YOU, CONSEQUENCES ARE ALREADY HERE - THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL ONES THAT CAN LAST A LIFETIME!
how did they even get away with it tho?? and its crazy that the community already doesn't trust local law enforcement and other groups cuz of all the ICE drama 
Leaving those custom-made playing cards with "ICE" on them is not cool at all, it's just plain cruel. It's like, what if someone's family member got taken away and didn't know why? 
. We need to make sure that our authorities are being held accountable for their actions and that families don't have to go through this kind of trauma. 
... or are they? I don't know, man... I'm all for immigrants having rights and stuff, but isn't that a little too extreme if people think a card is gonna make 'em do what they want? 
On the other hand, it's definitely not cool how ICE is using fake traffic stops to catch people. They should at least try to be more transparent about it... or are they trying to cover up something? 
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. Can't we just have a system where people are treated fairly and with respect? 
. This is a wake-up call for all of us to pay attention to the ways in which power is wielded and who benefits from it 
Like, who comes up with this stuff? "Death cards" in fake traffic stops? It's just so... aggressive. And the fact that they're trying to impersonate local law enforcement is like, totally red flag, right?