ACLU report: Colorado communities face several societal concerns

Colorado communities are facing numerous societal concerns, according to a new report released by the ACLU of Colorado.

"We cannot ignore it, and we have to begin to address this now," said Deborah Richardson, the executive director the ACLU of Colorado. "The issues that were identified in this report — it's not happening somewhere else. We're looking at this as a reality for Colorado, no matter which part of the state it is."

The report lists the top concerns affecting families in the state. Among many, some of the biggest issues listed were encounters with police and immigration and customs enforcement (ICE), discrimination toward LGBTQ+ youth and affordable housing.

"Everywhere we went, we heard stories from, let's say, from Durango and where we had students in Fort Collins, who were going to class every day, but they had to camp out because there was no affordable housing," Richardson said.

When it comes to interactions with law enforcement, the report found that there were blurred lines between police and ICE.

"They were really concerned and in a state of fear about going out," Richardson said. "Thinking that , 'I could be stopped for a broken taillight. Next thing I know, ICE is picking me up.'"

The pandemic worsened these issues for Black, Indigenous, people of color and low income communities.

"We're really just at the tail of where we are in terms of the pandemic and becoming a health issue, but we have not caught up in terms of ending the racial discrimination and the psychological terror of people going through that pandemic," she said.

Richardson said, now, it's time to begin focusing on solutions to these issues, and that begins with the people.

"It's going to take all of us," Richardson said. "It's going to take policy, in some cases litigation, but it starts with public will."

The ACLU is using this report  to determine its three-year plan to decide what to focus on over the next years. For more information on the report you can visit the ACLU Colorado website.