Gov. Jared Polis noted that Colorado does not consider itself a “sanctuary state” and regularly collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies of all types.
The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against Colorado and its capital, Denver, claiming that both the state and city violated federal law by impeding the actions of immigration enforcement officials.
According to The New York Times, the lawsuit was filed earlier this week in a Colorado-based federal court. It names defendants including Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. In court filings, attorneys for the U.S. Department of Justice cited specific instances of statutes alleged to conflict with federal law.
One of the laws prohibits Colorado officials from detaining anyone solely on the basis of a suspected immigration violation or federal immigration detainer; another prohibits state and local officials from sharing information with immigration enforcement agencies.
At the city level, Denver in 2017 enacted an ordinance banning the use of public resources for the purposes of immigration enforcement actions. The city’s then-governor also signed an executive order intended to “establish Denver as a safe and welcoming city for all.”
The Trump administration is now asking that the court find these laws unconstitutional and prohibit their enforcement.
“This is a suit to put an end to those disastrous policies and restore the supremacy of federal immigration law,” the lawsuit alleges.
“The United States has well-established, preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters,” the lawsuit claims.
In response, Gov. Polis noted that Colorado does not consider itself a “sanctuary state” and regularly collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies of all types.
“If the courts say that any Colorado law is not valid, then we will follow the ruling,” he said. “We are not going to comment on the merits of the lawsuit.”
Denver Mayor Johnston made similar remarks, saying that the city typically notifies Immigration and Customs Enforcement if and when it has detained a “removable alien” who is due for release. Nevertheless, Johnston said that he believes some places, like schools and hospitals, should always be off-limits for immigration enforcement officials.
Johnston also pushed back against the Trump administration’s broadly anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“What we know is we do not have thousands of undocumented individuals here with violent criminal histories,” Johnston said. “That’s a myth that’s been told.”
“Denver will not be bullied or blackmailed, least of all by an administration that has little regard for the law and even less for the truth,” city officials said in a separate statement.
Sources
Colorado House passes immigrant protections as Trump administration sues over ‘sanctuary’ laws
Trump Administration Sues Colorado and Denver Over Immigration Policies
Trump Department of Justice sues Colorado, Denver officials over immigration laws
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