By Michael Karlik | The Denver Gazette
A federal judge dismissed a challenge from Mesa County Sheriff’s Office leaders last week to a Colorado law limiting public employees’ cooperation with immigration authorities, concluding that the plaintiffs did not allege they engage in any conduct that the law would prohibit.
In a July 17 order, U.S. District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher noted that lawmakers only forbade the sharing of personal information “for the purpose of” immigration enforcement. Even then, the law contains exceptions for authorized criminal investigations or necessary duties.
“The Court respects that Plaintiffs’ wish to ensure they understand, both for individual reasons and on behalf of the agencies they head or work for, the current bounds of the law vis-à-vis how they can and should work and communicate with other agencies — particularly federal law enforcement,” wrote Gallagher. Yet, as alleged, “Plaintiffs only intend to share information for permissible law enforcement purposes and disclaim any precluded purpose.”
In August 2025, Sheriff Todd Rowell, Undersheriff Matthew King, and Capt. Curtis Brammer sued the state over a recently enacted law known as Article 74. The law prohibits public employees from sharing personal identifying information “for the purpose of investigating for, participating in, cooperating with, or assisting in federal immigration enforcement.” The law also prevents employees from inquiring into a person’s immigration status “for the purpose of identifying if the person has complied with federal immigration laws.”
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