Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Immigration Policy

Colorado voters to decide future of police cooperation with ICE
The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado voters to decide future of police cooperation with ICE

By Jesse Paul | The Colorado Sun Initiative 95 would amend the state constitution to require that police officers, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors alert federal immigration authorities if they charge someone whose immigration status is in question if that person has a prior felony conviction or the charge is for an alleged violent crime Colorado voters will decide in November whether to require that state and local law enforcement work more closely with federal immigration officials.  Initiative 95 would amend the state constitution to require that police officers, sheriff’s deputies and prosecutors alert the U.S. Department of Homeland Security if they charge someone whose immigration status is in question if that person has a prior felony convicti...
Protests over ICE center in Hudson reveal liberal hypocrisy
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Protests over ICE center in Hudson reveal liberal hypocrisy

By RMV Editorial Board Hundreds gathered outside a dormant prison in tiny Hudson this week. They braved freezing cold to protest plans for a new ICE detention center. Signs demanded justice. CBS Colorado captured the scene. https://youtu.be/D0iUjF-7B5s?si=MRLq2wBXKyFbYqqP One organizer told reporters the facility would not protect or serve communities. A resident feared people packed like sardines in a can. Another warned expansion drives families into shadows and erodes trust. The last census puts Hudson at 1,651 people. Someone at the protest warned that a 1,200-bed detention center would somehow double the town overnight.  That only works if detention beds are treated as permanent neighbors, or if the facility somehow brings in far more p...
Trump Administration Credits Deportations for Denver Home Price Dip
DENVER7, Approved, Local

Trump Administration Credits Deportations for Denver Home Price Dip

By: Micah Smith | Denver7 DENVER — The Trump administration is attributing lower home prices in the Denver area to mass deportations. In a news release, the administration said, “Through mass deportations, the Trump Administration is freeing up resources, revitalizing opportunity, and restoring safety — delivering tangible results that put American citizens first.” The news release named 14 cities, including Denver, claiming those cities have the largest undocumented immigrant populations and states that those cities saw home prices decline year over year. The administration states Denver saw a 3.4% decrease in median home list price, attributing this to mass deportations, but the news release does not provide further explanation. READ THE FULL ARTIC...
Court Deals Setback to Rep Jason Crow Over ICE Oversight Rules Challenge
Colorado Politics, Approved, National

Court Deals Setback to Rep Jason Crow Over ICE Oversight Rules Challenge

By: Michael Kunzelman | Colorado Politics WASHINGTON • A federal judge refused Monday to temporarily block the Trump administration from enforcing a new policy requiring a week’s notice before members of Congress can visit immigration detention facilities. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who is based in Washington, D.C., concluded that the Department of Homeland Security didn’t violate an earlier court order when it reimposed a seven-day notice requirement for congressional oversight visits to Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. Cobb stressed that she isn’t ruling on whether the new policy passes legal muster. Rather, she said, plaintiffs’ attorneys representing several Democratic members of Congress used the wrong “procedural vehicle” to chall...
A new session, same defiance: How Colorado’s immigration policy put ideology over enforcement
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A new session, same defiance: How Colorado’s immigration policy put ideology over enforcement

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado lawmakers are walking into the 2026 session with the budget already tight. They’re also bracing for more legal fights with Washington. New bills tied to ICE enforcement are moving early, including one that would expand the state’s ability to sue over immigration-related rights claims. That push comes as Colorado is already in federal court over immigration laws passed last session. In Senate Appropriations on April 11, Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer zeroed in on SB25-276's price tag, asking whether its costs would come out of the legislature's roughly $7.5 million set-aside for new mandates and litigation risks. The answer was a quick "Yes"—no hesitation, no alternative funding source offered. Democrats introduced Senate Bill...
Polis Says Colorado Police Can Work With DEA Despite Sanctuary Law
The Denver Gazette, Approved, State

Polis Says Colorado Police Can Work With DEA Despite Sanctuary Law

By The Denver Gazette Gov. Jared Polis on Friday insisted that local law enforcement officers in Colorado can — and should — work with federal drug enforcement authorities to go after criminal activity. An official of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency earlier said Colorado’s “sanctuary” laws, notably its prohibition against cooperating with federal authorities on illegal immigration matters, are having a “chilling effect” on law enforcement’s ability to pursue drug cartels operating in the state. “There’s always a matter of making sure local line officers are educated in our laws and that they know that they’re able to work with our federal partners on criminal matters,” Polis told The Denver Gazette. “So, it doesn’t shock me that there are some line officers somewhere ...
SB26-005: Colorado Bill Opens State Suits for ICE-Related Rights Violations—Even Against Private Actors
Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

SB26-005: Colorado Bill Opens State Suits for ICE-Related Rights Violations—Even Against Private Actors

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado lawmakers have introduced Senate Bill 26-005—legislation that would allow lawsuits in state court when an individual claims their rights under federal law have been violated as a result of civil immigration law enforcement. This bill creates a new state-level cause of action tied specifically to immigration enforcement activity. Its reach is broad. The text applies to “any person whether or not under color of law,” language pulled directly from the bill as introduced. The prime sponsors of the bill are Sen. Mike Weissman, Sen. Julie Gonzales, Rep. Javier Mabrey, and Rep. Yara Zokaie. It has been sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee—which Weissman chairs. That matters. He will be able to control how f...
Colorado Congresswoman Reveals Ongoing Democratic Effort to Target Trump
Breitbart, Approved, National

Colorado Congresswoman Reveals Ongoing Democratic Effort to Target Trump

By Olivia Rondeau | Breitbart Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) told constituents that Democrats are working to “ultimately move forward to impeach Trump” during a telephone town hall on Wednesday. According to Pettersen’s office, nearly 8,000 Coloradans were on the call, which featured the congresswoman talking about the need to fight against the Trump administration on issues like immigration enforcement.  “As Trump escalates attacks on Colorado and unlawfully withholds critical funding, sends ICE into our state to terrorize communities, and threatens our NATO allies abroad — I want people to know that we are here to support them in every way we can and they are not alone,” she said during the townhall. “I will continue to fight back against the cruelty and ...
Trump Moves to Cut Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities Starting Feb. 1
Fox News, Approved, National

Trump Moves to Cut Federal Funds to Sanctuary Cities Starting Feb. 1

By Emma Bussey | Fox News Move targets jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump said his administration will cease federal payments to sanctuary cities and states with sanctuary policies starting Feb. 1, while citing jurisdictions that protect criminals and fuel fraud and crime. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club, Trump said the move was aimed at cities and states that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and in the administration's bid to stamp out fraud. "Starting Feb. 1, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens," Trump said. "...
Aurora council immigration resolution sparks warnings from police chief, draws resident response
Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Aurora council immigration resolution sparks warnings from police chief, draws resident response

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Aurora City Council took up immigration enforcement Monday night and approved a resolution criticizing federal actions it described as unlawful and overreaching. The item arrived late on the agenda. It did not immediately change city policy. But it didn’t fade into the background, either. Council members pointed to several incidents they said shaped the decision. One involved the death of a Colorado woman during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in Minnesota. Others cited included reported illness concerns at the GEO ICE detention facility in Aurora and a recent arrest involving a parent and child. In the resolution’s language, council members said both U.S. citizens and immigrants...