If you want to understand how fear gets manufactured, don’t start with slogans. Start with methods.

In Eagle County, Colorado, advocates say ICE detained nine Latino community members during what they describe as police-lookalike stops — unmarked vehicles, sirens, the whole “this could be local law enforcement” performance. Then, they say agents left the vehicles behind on Highway 6. When family members went to retrieve the cars, they found something sitting inside at least two of them: ace of spades cards printed with “Denver Field Office” and the address + phone number for the GEO immigration detention facility in Aurora.

Federal immigration officials now say they’re investigating why agents left the cards. That matters because the ace of spades isn’t a random prop. It has a long history as an intimidation symbol, including its use by white supremacist groups and its reputation as a “death card” in Vietnam-era psychological warfare.

Alex Sanchez of Voces Unidas (the immigrant advocacy org that first reported it) didn’t hedge on what he believes it means:

“We are disgusted by ICE’s actions in Eagle County… Leaving a racist death card behind after targeting Latino workers is deliberate intimidation rooted in a long history of racial violence. This is an abuse of power.”

DHS, for its part, says the conduct wasn’t authorized and claims supervisors moved quickly. Their public line is condemnation + internal review:

DHS said it “unequivocally condemns” this type of action or officer conduct and that supervisors “acted swiftly to address the issue.”

“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, ICE is held to the highest professional standard… The ICE Office of Professional Responsibility will conduct a thorough investigation.”

I’m not asking anyone to read minds. I’m asking for standards. Because when enforcement already blurs identity (unmarked cars + sirens), and then a symbol widely read as a threat gets left behind, intimidation becomes the outcome, whether someone calls it a prank, a rogue act, or “not authorized.”

Replacement frame: If the goal is lawful enforcement + public safety, the minimum bar is clear identification, real oversight, and documented accountability, not fear props and ambiguous theatrics.

Question: What policies should be mandatory right now to prevent police-lookalike stops, and to trigger immediate independent review when intimidation markers show up?

Related context: data on ICE arrests in Colorado and Wyoming