Latinos on the left and right in Colorado rallied in advance of the CNBC Republican presidential primary debate this week. The groups separately shared concern about the rhetoric that has marked the race so far and fears that it will ring up long-term negative social and political costs.

“It is ugly and it’s hurtful,” said Dolores Huerta, an iconic labor and civil rights leader, at a People for the American Way roundtable held in Denver on Tuesday.

“Trump is saying things that make headlines, but all the Republican candidates – Bush, Rubio, all of them – must know that they’re completely out of line with the priorities of Latino community,” Huerta said. “They’ve rejected everything we stand for, like supporting working families, ensuring everyone has access to health care, and protecting members of our community from deportation. Their definition of family values is a narrow definition. It’s just unacceptable.”

“I have to believe all of this will inspire Latino voters to turn out,” she said. “People are coming up to me tired of the attacks when Trump is calling immigrants from Mexico rapists and murderers. I would like to say that, in Boulder this week, Trump will eat a salad – he will have vegetables that have been picked and prepared for him by an undocumented immigrant.”

In Colorado, the topic of immigration and Latino politics is especially charged. Colorado is one of the pivotal national swing states and the 20-percent Latino population here joins with younger and unaffiliated voters to make or break candidacies.

Thirty miles north of the roundtable where Huerta was meeting with Democratic lawmakers and progressive activists, a group of roughly two dozen conservative Latino activists met in Boulder to decide on a strategy to head off what they see as a looming election disaster. They told reporters after the meeting they had agreed not to support Donald Trump’s candidacy – under any circumstances – and that they were “putting the other Republican presidential candidates on notice.”

“We have grave concerns about losing the race for the White House once again for the simple reason that we don’t engage the community – our community – the Hispanic community,” said Jerry Natividad, a longtime Colorado Republican activist. “In many cases, our candidates decide it’s easier to say disparaging remarks than reach into our community and have an engagement of good ideas. That’s a problem.”

The conservative activists said they would be watching the debate to see whether Trump’s positions and language continued to skew the other candidates’ positions and rhetoric.

“We are the ones who have toiled in the trenches the last eight presidential elections,” said Rosario Marin, treasury secretary under George W. Bush. “Our party relies on us to bring the conservative message to Hispanic voters, and this race has given us tremendous pause. A wannabe politician has leveled violent and insulting statements at our community. We’re here to say, ‘Enough.’

“You think you don’t need us in the primary election? Heed our warning. You insult us now, we will be deaf to you later. Take us for granted now, we won’t recognize you then. We have not worked for this party for decades only to see it all thrown away.”

Alfonso Aguilar, director of American Principles Project’s Latino Partnership, said it’s not just about immigration policy but that immigration policy is a “gateway issue.”

“If you cannot be constructive on this issue, Latinos notice, and they will not listen to you on other issues,” he said. “Democrats love this issue. They want to keep it as an issue. They don’t want a solution.”

Aguilar noted that Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton said she would go further than President Barack Obama using executive actions to advance immigration policy.

“You see, that is not a solution. She will alienate Congress, and that means the end of any possibility of comprehensive reform. A vote for Clinton is a vote against reform.”

A real fear in Colorado is that Trump has already done too much damage and alienated the Latino population.

On Wednesday, the first question for Trump in the debate, ostensibly about taxes, found him talking about the wall he plans to build across the southern border, saying he would force Mexico to finance its construction by holding back trade with the United States as leverage.

Aguilar said he thought Trump had hit the ceiling of support he could hope to enjoy in the race.

“He was talking about the wall again. Nothing new – and he lied when he said he didn’t oppose expanding the H1 skilled-worker visas. It’s right there in a position paper on his website. ‘Marco Rubio has a bill to triple H-1Bs that would decimate women and minorities.’ That’s what he says on his website.

“At a place like this, the university in Boulder, where advanced degrees are being awarded to perhaps as many as 40 percent foreign students, it’s a real mistake to lie about your position on skilled-worker visas. He either doesn’t know his position or he’s a liar.”

State Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, echoed other Democrats after the debate, saying she thought the problem ran much deeper than Trump’s candidacy.

“On policy, the candidates are not that far from him,” she said. “Do any of them support a pathway to citizenship? On many economic issues important to Latinos… What did they say tonight about economic security, college affordability, childcare, equal pay? Much of the Latino population is living paycheck-to-paycheck.”

Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio said he thought it would be a long crawl back for the Republicans.

“Right outside the debate, there’s a huge crowd gathered in response to the anti-immigrant rhetoric. It’s a voter registration drive. A lot of people are very upset in Colorado. A lot has changed since George W. Bush won 37 percent of Latino vote,” Palacio said.

Republican Paulo Sibaja, a candidate for Arapahoe county commissioner, said grassroots efforts will make the difference.

“Democrats are taking the Latino vote for granted,” he said. “We’re working the communities hard, engaging hearts and minds – and the proof is out there. We won in the heavily Latino 6th Congressional District in 2014. We won a statewide election to the U.S. Senate.”

– john.tomasic@gmail.com