You expect most people walking the streets to be following the law, or at least hope they are. But sometimes, those breaking it are the ones meant to enforce it. One attorney from Colorado shared an example on TikTok, where she breaks down a very recent run-in she had with ICE agents. “I am not okay,” TikToker user Attorney_alida (Alida) starts off her video with, and immediately explains the situation.
While driving to court, with her client inside, Alida had pulled over, thinking the unmarked vehicles — which turned out to be ICE agents — were trying to pass her. Instead, her passenger-side door was opened and her client was pulled from the vehicle. “They didn’t ask any details,” Alida says. “They just took him.” And since she had a driver’s license and her client didn’t, carpooling was the ideal option. Though Alida admits she shouldn’t have been driving, and the threat of ICE agents taking immigrants outside courts hadn’t been a threat in “months,” the drive was only going to take “four minutes.”
Being an attorney, Alida asks the ICE agents for a warrant. They tell her since she isn’t her client’s immigration lawyer — and he lacks representation, anyway — that she could at least take a look or take a picture of it. Alida alleges the warrant wasn’t even signed by a judge, but an “administrative agent.” According to Alida, “There’s a law in Colorado that says a warrant signed by an agent and not a judge is not a warrant.”
Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to stop them or make a difference. Alida also adds that nothing she did was grounds for being pulled over. Her license was valid, she was going the speed limit, and didn’t violate any traffic laws; in fact, Alida states that the stop was “illegal” under Colorado Law SB 25-276.
In an update video, it’s confirmed that Alida and her client are “physically okay.” However, she also adds several documents have been set in motion since her client was taken. Firstly, she took notes, then reported on the Attorney General’s site of federal agent shenanigans happening in Colorado. The Colorado Response Network has also been sent a report, to corroborate ICE activity, and she spoke with the Montrose Police Department.
How People Are Reacting to Alida’s TikTok Video
Many of the comments in Alida’s TikTok video were pretty upset and angry about her client being taken. Some are even questioning if law even matters anymore, while only a few acted indifferent. People were also relieved that both Alida and her client were okay.
One commenter wrote, “That is illegal AF,” and suggested Alida file a civil rights lawsuit for both her and her client. People commenting in the same thread pointed out this was a violation of their Fourth Amendment.
Another commenter attempted to alleviate some of Alida’s guilt, saying, “You did your best at that time. You are a good person working to help people.” She isn’t to blame for others breaking the law. One commenter had this to say, “So, even attorneys don’t know what to do.” In the same thread, a TikTok user argued the “scariest” part of Alida’s video is the “lawlessness.”
