ICE investigates after Colorado group says agents left 'death cards' in arrested immigrants' abandoned cars

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Reposted by Radley Balko
https://bsky.app/profile/radleybalko.bsky.social

Seth Klamann
‪@sethklamann.bsky.social‬

ICE is investigating - and issued a rare condemnation - after a Colorado nonprofit said agents left behind branded “death cards” in vehicles abandoned after their owners were arrested in the state’s high country:
https://www.denverpost.com/2026/01/23/colorado-immigration-arrests-ace-of-spades-card-vehicles/

ICE investigates after Colorado group says agents left ‘death cards’ in arrested immigrants’ abandoned cars
Immigration agents operating near Vail left branded playing cards — similar to those used by U.S. forces in Vietnam — in cars abandoned by arrested immigrants earlier this week, an advo…
www.denverpost.com
5:58 PM · Jan 23, 2026

ICE is investigating - and issued a rare condemnation - after a Colorado nonprofit said agents left behind branded “death cards” in vehicles abandoned after their owners were arrested in the state’s high country: www.denverpost.com/2026/01/23/c...

— Seth Klamann (@sethklamann.bsky.social) 2026-01-23T22:58:25.058Z

[Ocelot II]

1. ICE says its Office of Professional Responsibility will investigate.

[UpInArms]

2. Link to article here

https://archive.ph/dGvz8

From the Denver post

[C_U_L8R]

3. Comeuppance can't come soon enough

They’re earning every misfortune that comes their way.
America will win and they will lose.

[GreatGazoo]

4. Brief history of "the death card"

England was the last country in europe to get printing presses. At the time of Shakespeare there were less than 25 printers in the whole country, the language and spelling was not standardized and illiteracy was over 90%.

So printing playing cards was a common use for the presses and the decks were taxed. Each deck had to have a tax stamp as proof of payment and this stamp was on the Ace of Spades. Failure to pay the tax was punishable by death (although it is unclear if people were killed for it), hence the name "Death Card."