Polis Rejects DOJ Label as Sanctuary State and Defends Local Law

By Jennifer McRae | CBS News Colorado

The Justice Department put 11 other states on its list besides Colorado — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. It also included Baltimore County, Maryland; Cook County, Illinois; San Diego County, California; and San Francisco County, California, along with 18 cities from Seattle to Philadelphia.

The letter states that a response to the letter must be submitted by Aug. 19 that “confirms your commitment to complying with federal law and identifies the immediate incentives you are taking to eliminate laws, policies, and practices that impede federal immigration enforcement.”

Gov. Polis’ Office said in a statement to CBS Colorado: “Colorado is not a sanctuary state. The Governor continues to be frustrated by this mistaken and incorrect label and the lack of transparency from the federal administration on this and many other items. In Colorado, we are improving public safety, apprehending dangerous criminals, cooperating with federal law enforcement on criminal investigations, and keeping our communities safe. The Governor encourages the federal administration – and Congress – to focus on actually securing the border, decreasing violent crime, increasing transparency, and passing real immigration reform.”

“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement last week. “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.”  

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