By Noah Festenstein | Denver Gazette
Denver’s councilmembers want to change the city charter to allow noncitizens to become either police officers or firefighters, a move that supporters said would help the city recruit and fill public safety positions.
The proposal’s sponsor said if the measure is enacted, it would open up responder positions to permanent legal residents and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that allowed immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children to lawfully remain in the U.S.
In order to do so, the Denver City Council needs to eliminate language in the charter that prevents the police and fire departments from hiring noncitizens.