Colorado Springs City Councilor walks out during MLK Jr Day proclamation after ICE comments

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - It could be the first time ever a Colorado Springs City Councilor walked out during a discussion over a proclamation.

The City Council is home to a lot of spirited discussion, but that typically doesn't happen when proclamations are on the table; the council doesn't even take a vote on them.

On Tuesday, a proclamation surrounding Martin Luther King Jr. Day was too much for one member to handle when conversations turned to ICE.

During the public comment portion of the discussion pertaining to the proclamation, local religious leaders who spoke evoked strong parallels from Dr. King's work decades ago to current events.

"In this moment of our nation's history, I'm compelled to state this truth. The violent, authoritarian actions of immigration and customs enforcement, including the murder of Colorado Springs, his own Renee Nicole Good, is a stain on the fabric of history," said Rev. Candace Wood. Other religious colleagues echoed that sentiment.

But then it was the council's turn to speak.

"I want to say that I fully support ICE in their activities," said Dave Donelson, pushing back hard.

"I find what was said here offensive, and I didn't even like sitting here listening to it," said Donelson, leaving before a pre-planned photo-op.

KRDO13 reached out to Donelson to further clarify the reason behind his walkout. He pointed back to something he said during the meeting, "I won’t sit at the dais and let ‘faith leaders’ lie about the good Americans who are trying to enforce our immigration laws. We either have a border and enforce our immigration laws, or we are done as a nation”.

After the photo-op, Councilor Donelson returned to his post for the rest of the meeting.

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