Breeanna Jent | Colorado Springs Gazette
El Paso County could join a lawsuit against the state of Colorado, challenging laws that stop local governments from cooperating with the federal government in certain matters of immigration.
The Board of El Paso County Commissioners at its regular meeting Tuesday will consider a resolution authorizing litigation against the state. If approved, the county would officially object to two state bills passed in 2019 and 2023 that prohibit local law enforcement, including the El Paso County sheriff, from arresting or detaining individuals based on a civil immigration detainer.
The laws also prohibit probation officers from providing migrants’ identifying information to federal authorities, and ended the ability for local law enforcement to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain individuals in their jails. Teller County has one such agreement, but Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell last summer said state laws won’t hinder his county’s cooperation with ICE.