Leaders from Douglas and El Paso counties in Colorado jointly filed a lawsuit against Gov. Jared Polis, D, and the state on Monday, April 15. The suit contests two Colorado House bills that limit government involvement with immigration detention.
Colorado’s current sanctuary immigration laws bar police from arresting and detaining undocumented migrants based on immigration status. These laws also prohibit officers and local judges from sharing information with federal immigration authorities.
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Douglas County Commissioner George Teal asserted that these laws violate the state’s constitution.
“Federal policies along the southern border have resulted in an unlimited stream of illegal immigrants into our communities,” Teal said. “We see it as a duty of the county to push back against these state laws that prohibit us from working with federal authorities to keep Douglas County and our communities safe.”
Commissioners expressed uncertainty about the number of migrants relocated to Douglas or El Paso counties, citing Texas’s busing of at least 40,000 migrants to the Denver area over 16 months.
Commissioner Laura Thomas emphasized the importance of ensuring county safety, expressing concern about changes she observed in Denver compared to Douglas County.
“What I see in Denver is not what I want to see here in Douglas County,” Thomas said.
Douglas County Undersheriff Dave Walcher criticized Colorado’s laws for hindering cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stressing that the agency’s primary responsibility is to protect citizens and maintain safety.
“It limits our ability,” Walcher said. “We cooperate with our federal partners like the FBI, the Secret Service, Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug Enforcement Administration. We cooperate with our federal partners, and things like this tell us we can’t even cooperate with ICE, who is a federal law enforcement agency. That is absolutely ridiculous.”
Polis has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
TWO COUNTIES IN COLORADO FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE STATE MONDAY, CHALLENGING ITS IMMIGRATION LAWS.
LEADERS OF DOUGLAS AND EL PASO COUNTIES – CAME TOGETHER – TO SUE GOVERNOR JARED POLIS AND THE STATE – OVER TWO COLORADO HOUSE BILLS – THAT RESTRICT GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT WITH IMMIGRATION DETENTION.
COLORADO’S CURRENT SANCTUARY IMMIGRATION LAWS – FORBID COLORADO POLICE FROM ARRESTING AND DETAINING UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS BASED ON IMMIGRATION STATUS.
THE LAWS ALSO PROHIBITS OFFICERS AND LOCAL JUDGES FROM EXCHANGING INFORMATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES.
DOUGLAS COUNTY’S BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CHAIRMAN GEORGE TEAL SAID THE LAWS VIOLATE THE STATE’S CONSTITUTION.
(GEORGE TEAL / DOUGLAS COUNTY, CO. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CHAIRMAN)
“FEDERAL POLICIES ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER HAS RESULTED IN AN UNLIMITED STREAM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS INTO OUR COMMUNITIES AND WE SEE IT AS A DUTY OF THE COUNTY TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THESE STATE LAWS THAT PROHIBIT US FROM WORKING WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES TO KEEP DOUGLAS COUNTY AND OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
COMMISSIONERS SAY THEY’RE NOT SURE HOW MANY MIGRANTS HAVE BEEN RELOCATED TO DOUGLAS OR EL PASO COUNTIES. TEXAS BUSSED AT LEAST 40-THOUSAND MIGRANTS TO THE DENVER AREA OVER A SPAN OF 16 MONTHS.
(LAURA THOMAS / DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONER)
“IT IS OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE OUR COUNTY IS SAFE. WHEN I GO TO DENVER, I SEE A MUCH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY THAN THE PLACE WHERE I GREW UP. AND WHAT I SEE IN DENVER IS NOT WHAT I WANT TO SEE HERE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
DOUGLAS COUNTY’S UNDERSHERIFF DAVE WALCHER SAID COLORADO’S LAWS PROHIBIT HIM AND HIS DEPUTIES FROM COOPERATING WITH IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT.
HE SAYS HIS WHOLE JOB IS TO PROTECT CITIZENS AND KEEP THEM SAFE.
(DAVE WALCHER / UNDERSHERIFF, DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO)
“IT LIMITS OUR ABILITY. AND WHAT’S FASCINATING ABOUT THAT, WE HAVE ALL THESE OTHER FEDERAL PARTNERS THAT WE COOPERATE WITH: THE FBI, THE SECRET SERVICE, ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION… WE COOPERATE WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS AND THINGS LIKE THIS TELL US WE CAN’T EVEN COOPERATE WITH ICE WHO IS A FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.”
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
COLORADO GOVERNOR JARED POLIS HAS NOT YET RESPONDED TO THE LAWSUIT.
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