2.1.2026: “Justice is Indivisible"

This Black History Month offers us the opportunity to celebrate the Black activists who have been in this game for a long time and from whom we have a lot to learn. From John Lewis to Angela Davis, we can’t fully understand the depth of their struggles and contributions to society and civil rights. But we can roll up our sleeves and work to make them proud.

Happy 1st Anniversary, I-WM! 

I-WM’s first anniversary is this week. We’ve grown and accomplished so much, and it’s all thanks to all of YOU! We wish to extend a heartfelt thank you for all your contributions to our success and growth. And a very special shoutout to our fearless, energetic leader, Jackie, without whom we wouldn’t be here or even half as successful. Regarding the upcoming anniversary, Jackie reflected, “When I started this group in February 2025, I never imagined that it would be such a blessing. It's been inspiring to be surrounded by so many generous, sincere and thoughtful people. They keep me going when I'm tired, the friendships feel like a family and the passion is motivating." We hope to see more of you this year as we collectively build towards a brighter future!   

Joining I-WM is a great way to meet friends to attend protests (and vent about current events) with! Reply to this email to join, and an Indivisibuddy will get back to you shortly.

Immigration Corner

Resources for People Targeted by ICE

Your safety and well being is important to us.  Please use the links below as a resource to help you and your family build safe guards to implement.  We care about you.

Tu seguridad y tu salud y bien estar son importantes para no otros. Por favor utilice los enlaces abajo como recurso para ayudarte y su familia  a construir guardias de seguaridad para implementar. Nos perocupamos por ustedes.

RICON DE INIMIGRACION

Compartir información con mi comunidad inmigrante. 

• Know Your Rights 

• Family Preparedness Plan

• Red Card (printable) (available in 50+ languages)

• CIRC: Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition

IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS 

Matt Shaftel, Esq.

 405 Urban St., Suite #110

Lakewood, CO 80228

303-872-6985

Maris Immigration Law

1790 30th Street, Suite #200

Boulder, CO 80301

303-444-1019

Meza & Associates, LLC

1499 W. 120th AveWestminster, CO 80234720-441-4925

Mental Health

The Benefits of Volunteering

Who knew that volunteering offers so many benefits to our physical, mental and emotional well-being.  Here is a chance to try something new if you don’t want to hit the gym; and look at a new way to support the community around you.  It could be at school, a food bank, Mission for the homeless, our local Public Broadcasting System (PBS), church, etc.  There are Veteran’s and Senior programs that need drivers to get them to doctor's appointments.  Or just looking out for an elderly neighbor who might need someone to shovel their walk after it snows.  Any act of kindness is a win-win!

• Improves physical and mental wellness - it’s amazing that the benefits of volunteering is better for you vs not volunteering

• Provides a sense of purpose and teaches valuable skills - volunteering helps you reflect and appreciate our opportunities.  Organization(s) are happy to have support of individuals with or without skills.  This could be a chance to learn a new skill.

• Nurture new and existing relationships - your heart will be filled with the many people you will meet and you’ll walk away at the end of the day knowing you made a difference

Please check out the benefits in the Mayo Clinic’s article.

Spotlight on Upcoming Events

Training Opportunities

Below, we’ve spotlighted some upcoming trainings. See this post for more training opportunities, from first aid to Safety Marshall classes.  

Colorado Rapid Response Network (CORRN) Confirmer Training

This training is valuable whether to want to help document immigration incidents for an actual ICE event or to be an informed and helpful witness during an ICE event. As ICE is ramping up their presence in Colorado, this training will add value and recommended suggestions to stay safe.

The February CORRN training is full, and we are coordinating for additional classes in March and April. Email team@indivisiblewestminster.org to get added to the waitlist. We will confirm the details and location of the training when we can.

Special Election Dates

• Change your political party by 2/13 (or 22 days before your caucus begins). Calling all voters whose party is Independent - choosing a political party that can make the most impact this year

• Democrat caucuses, 3/7. It’s online in Jefferson County and Adams County parties will determine whether to have in-person or remote

  • Some counties’ caucuses may occur as early as 3/3

Quick and Easy From Your Couch

Here are some suggestions for those of you without too much time or ability to move about!

• Call: Call Governor Polis and tell him not to relax Tina Peters’ sentence. He’s “strongly considering” it. Phone number: (303) 866-2471

• Read: Stride Towards Freedom, by Martin Luther King, Jr. This discusses his experiences related to the Montgomery bus boycott and his nonviolence philosophy.

• Reflect: Do you have a plan for when ICE enters your neighborhood? How can you start building one?

Politics at Play

Taking Back Colorado District 8   

CD8 will be hotly contested this year. Its House Representative seat has been a Trump stronghold for the last 2 years, thanks to Gabe Evans. He won by only 2,500 votes, so there is a very good chance of ousting someone who puts Trump WAY before his constituents.

Evans has voted with Donald Trump consistently for the past two years, including voting for the Butt Ugly Bill. He doesn’t hold Town Halls and is almost invisible to his constituents. Republicans won’t replace him, but Democrats could defeat him in 2026 with a concerted campaign effort. With the caucus approaching, let’s take a look at the 3 Democrats who are caucusing for CD8. We encourage you to do additional research and make your own decisions, and we hope to share some information to assist in this process.

Manny Rutinel

Manny is a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, representing Adams County in House District 32 since 2023. Rutinel holds a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a law degree from Yale. Some of Manny’s top priorities:

• Reducing housing and healthcare cost, 

• Protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid

• Fighting for working families

Shannon Bird

Shannon was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, where she represented the 29th House district from 2019 to 2026. In 2026, she resigned to begin campaigning full time for CD8. She also served on Westminster Council from 2015 to 2019. She holds an  M.B.A. from the University of Colorado Denver and a law degree from the University of Denver. Some of Shannon’s top priorities:

• Protecting Medicare and Medicaid and lowering healthcare costs

• Making Housing more affordable

• Stopping Donald Trump’s assaults on Democracy

Evan Munsing

Evan worked in the Department of Defense and served in the Marine infantry, getting deployed to Afghanistan twice. After leaving the military, he managed large organizations, and he's served as a mentor and advocate for veterans. Some of Evan’s top priorities include: 

• Fight corruption 

• Bring independent leadership back to Washington

• Make life more affordable for Coloradans

Blue Wave

Some of you may be registered as an Independent, but this is the year to change your party if you want to see change. Indivisible groups are pushing for a Blue Wave, so please consider using this link to change your status. You can return back to an Independent status after the elections if you wish. Switching parties will have a stronger effect for the changes we’re looking to see.