Assault charge for immigration officer may test immunity provisions

The decision in Colorado to charge an immigration officer with assault after a protester was grabbed by the neck and pulled away could test the boundaries of immunity provisions for federal agents in the line of duty.

A Colorado prosecutor confirmed Wednesday that an immigration officer has been charged with third-degree assault and criminal mischief following an investigation into the treatment of a protester in October 2025.

Multiple videos of the clash in October show a masked federal agent seizing a 57-year-old woman in what she called a chokehold.

Colorado has banned chokeholds, while federal law enforcement officers have broad legal protections when acting in their official duties.