By C. J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice
Why Sovereignty, Legitimacy, and Trust Demand Citizenship in Law Enforcement
Since 2016, various jurisdictions in Colorado began allowing non-citizens – specifically lawful permanent residents and in some cases, DACA recipients – to serve as police officers. This is not a progressive step forward, but rather, it is a profound public policy misstep. It is the height of hubris to assume that someone who is not a full citizen of this country should be vested with the authority to police those who are.
Law enforcement is not merely a career track or a staffing challenge. It is a solemn extension of state power, a delegation of the people’s sovereignty. In the American system of self-governance, that sovereignty lies exclusively with citizens. The badge is not just a tool; it is a symbol of that delegation. To grant it to someone who has not fully joined the political community is to undermine the very legitimacy of that authority.
This is not xenophobia. This is not animus toward lawful permanent residents.
This article is a principled defense of what it means to be a citizen in a constitutional republic – and what it means to be governed by the consent of the governed. Those who lazily, or dishonestly, dismiss this argument as xenophobic are either unable to grasp its constitutional and philosophical underpinnings or are willfully distorting the debate to shut down legitimate dissent.
Such people reveal a poverty of thought and a contempt for honest discourse, preferring the cheap smear over the hard work of engaging with uncomfortable truths.
1. Only Citizens Possess Sovereignty
Our laws derive their authority from the people – not just the population, but the citizenry. The right to make and enforce laws belongs to citizens through the structures of representative government. To authorize non-citizens to enforce those laws is to short-circuit the entire system. It delegates sovereign power to those who do not yet possess it.
A green card holder may live here lawfully, work here legally, and even serve in many productive roles in society. But they are not citizens. They have not taken an oath to defend the Constitution. They do not possess voting rights. They have not pledged exclusive allegiance to the United States. To give them the power to arrest, detain, or use force against American citizens is to make a mockery of what citizenship entails.
2. The Consent of the Governed Is Not a Platitude
In a free society, the governed must give their consent to those who enforce the law. That consent is implicit in citizenship – we are policed by fellow citizens who are accountable to the same Constitution, subject to the same rights and responsibilities, and governed by the same laws.
When non-citizens become officers, the social contract begins to fray. We are no longer being governed by our peers, but by outsiders (however well-meaning) who do not have full skin in the game. This is not merely symbolic; it is structural. It matters deeply in a society where legitimacy depends on shared identity and mutual accountability.
3. Citizenship Must Mean Something
There must be a distinction between citizen and non-citizen, and that distinction must be meaningful. Citizenship is not simply a bureaucratic status. It is the defining boundary of political belonging. It carries with it duties: to vote, to serve on juries, to be subject to full civic accountability, to defend the nation if necessary.
If the full authority of the state can be wielded by someone who has not met these obligations – who cannot even vote for the leaders whose laws they are enforcing – then citizenship has been reduced to an empty formality. That is not progress. It is the erosion of republican governance.
4. Divided Allegiance Is Not a Trivial Concern
Green card holders, by definition, have not sworn exclusive allegiance to the United States. Many still hold citizenship in another country. While that does not make them bad people or disloyal neighbors, it does raise legitimate questions when it comes to the enforcement of American law.
Policing requires not just technical competence but cultural and constitutional loyalty. Officers must be prepared to make life-and-death decisions in defense of constitutional principles. They must embody the values of the communities they serve. Divided legal allegiance, no matter how abstract, undermines the singular commitment that law enforcement demands.
5. This Dishonors Those Who Did It the Right Way
There are countless law enforcement officers across this country who immigrated to the United States and became citizens before putting on the uniform. These men and women respected the process, completed the journey, and pledged themselves to this country in full. They became Americans, and then took up the mantle of public trust.
To now declare that citizenship is optional for wearing the badge is to insult every officer who honored the process, took the oath in full, and proved – through their own lives – that they respect the law enough to be trusted with enforcing it.
6. It Sets a Precedent That Will Not Stop Here
Once we accept the premise that citizenship is not required to enforce the law, what’s next? Will we permit non-citizens to become judges? Prosecutors? Elected officials? Jurors?
Each of these roles involves the wielding of civic power, and each depends on the legitimacy of a political community made up of citizens. There is a reason that these roles have historically been reserved for those who are fully vested in the American experiment. To blur those lines now is to invite confusion, resentment, mistrust, and – ultimately – the corruption of our Constitutional republic.
7. Community Trust Is Not Built on Demographics Alone
Proponents of this policy argue that it will allow the department to “better reflect the community.” But trust is not built merely on demographic alignment. Trust is built on character, integrity, and shared values.
Law enforcement agencies should absolutely strive to be representative. But that representation must begin with a shared constitutional foundation – not merely shared skin tone or language. If diversity becomes a substitute for legitimacy, we will certainly lose both.
The desire to grow and diversify a police force is understandable. But the method matters. This is not about who can do the job, it’s about who should be entrusted with the power to do so. And in a nation founded on the principle that power flows from the people, the only people who should wield the coercive authority of the state are those who are full members of the polity.
We are not a nation of subjects. We are a nation of citizens. And only citizens should police citizens.
To forget this is to forget the meaning of America.
C. J. Garbo, M.Sc., is a seasoned political strategist and 15-year law enforcement veteran with a B.A. in Political Science. Certified by the FBI-LEEDA in Command for Law Enforcement Executives, he has managed high-profile political campaigns, advised elected officials on policy and messaging, and served in leadership roles that demanded both strategic vision and tactical precision. His combined experience in politics and policing gives him a unique perspective on the relationship between the governed and those entrusted with enforcing the law, making him a steadfast advocate for preserving the Constitutional integrity of American citizenship in positions of state authority.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.
