Emotions erupt at Denver airport after ICE detains woman accused of overstaying visa

DENVER (KDVR) — Emotions erupted at Denver International Airport after a 27-year-old immigrant was detained by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while boarding a Southwest Airlines flight.

The incident was caught on camera by an Oakland woman who is leading a charge to help Chantal Alejandra Morales Rojas who came to the U.S. from Ecuador to work as a live-in au pair.

ICE told Nexstar’s KDVR that Rojas entered the country on October 20, 2024 on a visa that would allow her to stay in the country until January 4, 2025.

An ICE spokesperson told KDVR: “In violation of our nation’s laws, she overstayed her visa. She remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.” 

Supporters said that Rojas has a pending application to gain the proper status to stay in the U.S.

Rojas and her group were boarding their plane back to Oakland on Monday night after returning from an ultimate frisbee event in Denver; however, a witness told KDVR that two men approached Rojas asking about her visa status.

“At the time, we didn’t know they were targeting her specifically, we thought maybe they were just asking Latina women to talk about their visa........

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