This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.
Rep. Lauren Boebert’s Halloween costume is drawing boos — and not the scary ones.
Boebert attended a Halloween event in a costume meant to depict a Mexican woman, wearing a sombrero and carrying a sign that read “Mexican Word of the Day: JUICY.” The sign went on to mock Spanish accents with the line, “Tell Me If Juicy ICE coming.” Her companion was dressed as an ICE agent.
A photo of Boebert, who is no stranger to controversy, in the costume quickly made the rounds on social media this weekend.
“It’s a Halloween costume. Tell our Senators to vote for the CR and open the government. They are choosing to let millions of American families suffer,” Boebert said in a statement to CPR News, referring to Colorado's senators’ votes against advancing a House passed short-term funding bill.
But some Latino groups in Colorado see it as more than a costume.
What do you think of the costume @RepBoebert wore to a Halloween party in Windsor. Her date was dressed as an ICE officer. pic.twitter.com/SYKDrRJSAF
— Mike4Colorado (@mike4colorado) November 1, 2025
“It’s racist,” said Alex Sanchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas, a nonpartisan organization that mobilizes Latino voters. “It is unbecoming of an elected official. And she is failing to recognize the trauma, the hurt, that she, her party and this Trump Administration has done to thousands and thousands of Coloradans.”
Sanchez pointed to families that had been separated or immigrants who had not committed any crimes, being taken off the streets without any judicial warrant.
Sanchez said he wasn’t surprised by Boebert’s costume choice.
Sonny Subia, state director of the League of United Latin American Citizens or LULAC, said he was disappointed, not just by Boebert’s costume, but those who defended or supported it.
“It’s just disappointing to see that you have elected officials that are laughing at people that are separated and their traumas and kids. I mean, come on,” Subia said.
Subia said his concern isn’t with Boebert’s clothing, adding he’s proud of the heritage and that on the weekend of Día de los Muertos, “a lot of people were celebrating the Latino culture with dress.”
It was her sign and the man she was with, dressed as an ICE agent, that bothers him. “I was offended.”
He also added, “It’s just childish.”
For years, Republicans have been trying to make headway electorally with Hispanic voters. While Trump didn’t win the Latino vote in 2024, he did much better than in his earlier attempts, coming within 3 points of Democrat Kamala Harris’ share of that demographic.
However, it’s uncertain if that support is permanent. A new poll from UnidosUS found that 64 percent of Latinos disapprove of the president, with 13 percent of his past supporters saying they would not vote for him if given another chance.
Sanchez, who will be releasing Colorado-specific numbers from the poll on Thursday, said the data suggest Latinos are displeased with Republican leadership in Washington, D.C., thus far.
Subia said the main reason many Latinos moved the dial towards Republicans in 2024 was the economy.
“Those kitchen table issues haven’t gotten any better, and they’ve gotten worse,” said Subia. “And that they make fun of our culture, and for Boebert to do that, they’re showing their colors now. And I’ll tell you, it’s going to be hard for them to get the Latino community back on their court.”
