Updated at 5:35 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025.

A Douglas County teacher and her family were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday and transferred to a detention facility in Texas, despite the teacher having legal authorization to work in the U.S., according to school officials.

The school, Global Village Academy, focuses on language immersion and had recently joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its proposed $100,000 fee for hiring international workers on H-1B visas.

Marina Ortiz, a fifth-grade teacher at the Global Village Academy, was not at school at the time of the detention but was attending a routine immigration appointment on Oct. 24 at an ICE field office in Centennial when she was detained, according to a letter the school’s principal wrote to families.

School Principal Stacy Bush said Ortiz and her family are currently in the U.S. with permission and that Ortiz is authorized to work under federal and state laws.

“Even though Marina and her family are currently in the United States with permission, and Marina has authorization to work in the United States under all applicable federal and state laws, ICE arrested Marina and her family,” Bush wrote. She said the school is working with legal counsel and immigration attorneys to help facilitate the family’s return to Colorado.

The Global Village Academy Collaborative, which oversees the school, confirmed Ortiz’s employment was fully authorized under federal law.

Michael Henderson, executive director of the collaborative, said in a statement that Ortiz’s employment authorization document is valid through the spring of 2029. He said the school completes I-9 employee verification forms, inspects employment authorization documentation for all employees, and also conducts a Colorado Bureau of Investigations background check for all staff. The school is not enrolled in the voluntary E-Verify program.

However, a spokesperson for ICE in Denver said Marina Ortiz-Abollaneda, 43, is an “illegal alien from Peru who entered the country Dec. 2, 2022, near Yuma, Arizona, and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol.” He said she was subsequently paroled and released on her own recognizance.

He said Ortiz-Aballaneda will be held in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is executing its mission of identifying and removing criminal aliens and others who have violated our nation’s immigration laws. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention, and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.”

Global Village Academy Collaborative, which has schools in Aurora, Thornton and Parker, provides English and second language immersion instruction to about 2,200 students across its schools. It recently joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s proposed fee for new H-1B visa workers. The visas are used extensively in Colorado by rural schools and language schools that have difficulty hiring U.S.-born native language speakers.

The lawsuit states the school relies heavily on recruiting and retaining teachers who can instruct in other languages.

“Without the H-1B visa system, GVAC would not be able to continue hiring qualified world language teachers to carry out its educational model and provide the level of instruction it has in the past,” the lawsuit states.

It’s unclear whether Ortiz was on an H-1B visa.

‘Deeply shocked and profoundly saddened’

Douglas County School Board Director Susan Meek released a statement online that she was “deeply shocked and profoundly saddened” to hear the reports of Ortiz’s arrest.

She said while the incident didn’t occur on school property, the incident generated fear and uncertainty and directly affects employees, students and the community.

“Our schools are meant to be places of trust, safety, and opportunity,” Meek said. “When someone who contributes to our shared mission of educating children is suddenly taken away, it sends a chilling message to the many families in our district who live each day with fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability.”

 She said that the district has a responsibility to foster a safe and supportive environment for all employees and said the district must examine how its policies and practices can strengthen safety and belonging for all employees and families.

“We must continue to build a community in which every person — regardless of immigration status — feels that they belong, that they are respected, and that they matter.”

Bush encouraged families to reach out to school staff if students are struggling with the news.

“We are here to ensure every child has a safe, supportive space to express and process their emotions,” she wrote.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated with more details on Global Village Academy as part of a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration over its proposed $100,000 fee for hiring international workers on H-1B visas.