Colorado Democrats Advance New Oversight Rules For ICE Facilities

By Marissa Ventrelli | The Denver Gazette

Colorado state representatives voted along party lines to pass a bill establishing additional inspection requirements for immigration detention centers and expanding civil liabilities related to sharing information with federal immigration authorities.

It’s the latest proposal to come out of the state Capitol, which has embraced so-called “sanctuary laws,” which limit or prohibit cooperation with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws.

Notably, House Bill 1276 permits the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to require ICE detention facilities to comply with certain health and safety standards and pay for environmental impact studies.

It expands a current law prohibiting employees of state agencies or political subdivisions from disclosing an individual’s immigration status to federal authorities by extending civil penalty liability to the employer. It additionally requires the state’s Peace Officers Standards and Training Board to train law enforcement officers on federal immigration law and mandates the Attorney General’s Office to develop policies on the sharing of personally identifying information with federal immigration authorities.

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