On Tuesday, the Trump administration intensified its efforts against Colorado, labeling the state a ‘sanctuary’ for individuals who are in the country without authorization.
In a new release from the Justice Department, Colorado, alongside Denver, has been designated as a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction,’ a designation that encompasses 35 counties, cities, states, and the District of Columbia across the nation.
Federal attorneys have filed an updated complaint in a lawsuit against Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Attorney General Phil Weiser, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins, referencing the case of Caroline Dias Goncalves as evidence that the state remains uncooperative with federal deportation efforts.
Earlier this summer, Dias Goncalves was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy in Mesa County. The deputy subsequently alerted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents via Signal chat, indicating that she might be unauthorized to remain in the country.
Days later, ICE detained her for over two weeks.
In response, Weiser has taken legal action against the deputy for sharing information with ICE, and the Mesa County Sheriff has taken measures against him, expressing disapproval of the state’s actions.
The federal government criticized Colorado’s actions, arguing that the state is punishing officers who work with ICE to maintain community safety and enforce federal law.
According to the updated complaint in the case USA v. Colorado, federal attorneys stated, ‘When officers choose to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement agencies to keep their communities safe and enforce federal law, the state of Colorado hauls them into court as punishment for doing their jobs.’
Additionally, federal officials highlighted a new law that was passed this year, which expands the category of state and local employees banned from sharing Colorado residents’ personal information with immigration authorities for deportation purposes.
Under this new legislation, not only law enforcement officers but also pretrial officers and employees of pretrial services are restricted from sharing information with ICE.
The federal lawsuit claims, ‘This hampers local law enforcement’s ability to arrange interviews between federal immigration authorities and inmates.’
The updates in the sanctuary list from the U.S. Department of Justice assert that the policies in Colorado and Denver endanger the safety of American citizens.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, ‘Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design. The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.’
Weiser has refrained from commenting on the updated list due to ongoing litigation.
Jon Ewing, a spokesman for the mayor, humorously remarked, ‘And here we thought the Trump Administration didn’t like lists!’
Ewing asserted, ‘Denver protects the rights of all residents while enforcing federal, state, and local law. Any suggestion otherwise is untrue.’
This latest sanctuary list has undergone revisions from a previous list issued in May, which initially included more of Colorado’s municipalities.
Following a concerted lobbying campaign to be removed from that initial list, counties like El Paso began to see changes, leading to a complete restructuring of the May list by the Trump administration.
Currently, the sanctuary designation lacks tangible repercussions beyond impacting public perception but could eventually serve as a basis for denying or retracting federal funds.
The criteria for the sanctuary designation present peculiar disparities between communities, especially considering that all regions in Colorado are subject to the same state laws.
For instance, while Denver does not grant ICE agents access to non-public areas of the jail, some other counties have different policies.
Moreover, Denver does not detain individuals beyond their bail or sentence expiration solely at ICE’s request regarding civil immigration violations, a standard procedure that is followed across the state.
However, Denver, which saw less than 21 percent of Donald Trump’s vote in the 2024 election, was specifically highlighted on this sanctuary list, joining the ranks of other areas that embrace welcoming sentiments toward newcomers.
Governor Jared Polis expressed his discontent with the Department of Homeland Security’s insinuation that Colorado provides leniency to individuals who have committed crimes.
A spokesperson for Polis relayed, ‘The Governor is frustrated by the lack of transparency from the federal administration regarding their enforcement actions.’
‘Additionally, DHS did not share what criteria was used to create this arbitrary list, nor did they consult us during its development,’ the spokesperson noted.
‘Law enforcement in Colorado partners with our federal agencies to apprehend criminals regardless of their origin.’
In contrast, El Paso County, which has not been included in the most recent sanctuary list, chose to reiterate previous statements from May.
Sosa, a spokeswoman for El Paso County, said, ‘We are working to reverse Colorado’s sanctuary laws, and we are fully collaborating with ICE officials, as state statute allows. Together, we have provided testimony, called attention to the rising crime rate, and fortified El Paso County as an anti-sanctuary.’
Sosa emphasized a commitment to not catering to ‘Denver politicians, whose political agenda has made Colorado less safe for everyone.’
Despite the federal claims, major crime categories have seen a decline throughout the state in recent months, including in Denver, igniting ongoing conversations as the lawsuit between the administration and key Colorado and Denver officials remains active in federal court.
image source from：cpr
