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Federal Lawmakers Question Colorado Sanctuary Policies In New Investigation
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Approved, Colorado Politics, State

Federal Lawmakers Question Colorado Sanctuary Policies In New Investigation

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics A congressional panel is reviewing Denver and Boulder’s policies, alleging that these cities, along with other “sanctuary” jurisdictions, are declining to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, the body announced Wednesday. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, issued letters to the district attorneys, sheriffs and police chiefs of Denver and Boulder, accusing the local officials of prioritizing “illegal and criminal aliens over American citizens,” undermining public safety and hindering “the efficient enforcement of federal law.” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-California, chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Environment, also signed the letters. Rep. Gabe Evans, the Republic...
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“Hell No”: Denver Mayor Refuses To Yield On Assault Weapons Restrictions
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

“Hell No”: Denver Mayor Refuses To Yield On Assault Weapons Restrictions

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado Denver Mayor Mike Johnston didn't mince words in response to a letter sent last week from the Department of Justice threatening to sue unless the city stops enforcing its so-called ban on "assault weapons." "We're here today to let them know that our answer is 'Hell no,'" said Johnston. "There are too many Coloradans we've had to say goodbye to in too many places because of the impact of assault weapons," he added. Since 1989, city ordinance has made it a crime to carry, store, keep, manufacture, or sell these weapons. Included in the city's definition of an assault weapon is a semiautomatic pistol or rifle with the feeding device capacity of more than 15 rounds, but it's not an outright ban of these types of guns. ...
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Denver $178M Homeless Initiative Faces Scrutiny Over Missing Funds
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver $178M Homeless Initiative Faces Scrutiny Over Missing Funds

By Tyler Melito | Denver7 In a report released Thursday, the City of Denver's auditor's office said the initiative by the mayor had underreported expenses and was "insufficiently planned." DENVER - The Denver mayor’s office and the city auditor’s office are in sharp disagreement over the findings of the latest audit on All In Mile High, the city’s homelessness initiative. Mayor Mike Johnston launched All In Mile High in 2024 with the ambitious goal of ending unsheltered homelessness in Denver by the end of 2026. The report released Thursday by City Auditor Timothy O'Brien's office credits the program with reducing unsheltered homelessness by 45% since 2023 — but that same report sharply criticizes the initiative’s financial transparency, planning and equi...
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Denver Bans Masked Officers During Arrests DHS Signals It Won’t Comply
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Denver Bans Masked Officers During Arrests DHS Signals It Won’t Comply

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado Denver city leaders unanimously passed a ban on all officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, from wearing face coverings while detaining or arresting people. That law also requires officers to wear visible identification. It's the second sweeping ordinance against federal officers in Denver in just a few days. Last Thursday, Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order banning federal immigration agents from operating on city property without a judicial warrant.  It also directs Denver police, deputies and fire personnel to investigate reports of violence and criminal behavior. The Department of Homeland Security responded calling the executive order "legally illiterate," adding, "...
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Denver Mayor Orders Police To Intervene In ICE Operations If Force Deemed Excessive
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Mayor Orders Police To Intervene In ICE Operations If Force Deemed Excessive

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday outlined his city’s response to immigration enforcement operations, including intervening to stop federal officers when local police observe them using “excessive” force. Johnston also said the city will not allow federal authorities to “stand in our way” in situations where emergency responders must render first aid, presumably in cases where someone, such as a civilian, gets hurt in an immigration operation. The mayor’s move is the latest in a string of proposals from Democrats, who have begun to position the state and jurisdictions they dominate in a more confrontational stance. The attorney general, for example, wants residents to report alleged misconduct by federal agents via an online...
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Denver Leaders Face Tough Questions After Data Center Company CoreSite Skips Community Meeting
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Denver Leaders Face Tough Questions After Data Center Company CoreSite Skips Community Meeting

By: Maggie Bryan | Denver7 DENVER — During a town hall on Tuesday night, residents of Denver's Globeville and Elyria-Swansea neighborhoods demanded answers from city leaders, state officials, and business representatives about the impacts of a new data center being built in the area. CoreSite, the company building the data center, did not attend the town hall and cited safety concerns as the reason it refrained from participating. A spokesperson for CoreSite told Denver7 its leadership team was concerned after seeing social media conversations about the community event, but did not elaborate further. The company is currently constructing a 170,000-square-foot data center at Race Street and E. 49th Avenue in Denver, which will be one of three buildings as part of CoreSi...
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Denver Mayor Johnston Claims Sanctuary Policies Boost Safety As Federal Lawsuits Advance
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Mayor Johnston Claims Sanctuary Policies Boost Safety As Federal Lawsuits Advance

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette Denver has joined some 140 cities, counties and elected officials in filing two amicus briefs backing Minnesota and Rochester, New York — jurisdictions sued by the Trump administration’s over their “sanctuary” policies. In a statement, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston characterized the White House’s actions as “defunding” and “punishing” America’s “sanctuary cities.” The Trump administration, meanwhile, said sanctuary jurisdictions have stood in the way of enforcing immigration laws. Johnston’s office described Minnesota and Rochester as “cities that, like Denver, are fighting back against the White House’s baseless attempts to rewrite local and state law in violation of the U.S. Constitution.” An amicus brief – or friend...
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Mayor Johnston Promises Resistance if ICE Comes to Denver
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DENVER7, Approved, Local

Mayor Johnston Promises Resistance if ICE Comes to Denver

By: Colette Bordelon | Denver7 In the wake of a deadly weekend in Minneapolis, Mayor Mike Johnston said he is prepared to fight back against federal immigration enforcement in Denver. DENVER — On Monday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston outlined his goals for the city in 2026, which included safety, affordability, and climate resilience. However, before Johnston dove into what he wants to see in Denver this year, he addressed rising community fears sparked by two deadly federal enforcement encounters in Minneapolis, vowing to protect residents if ICE were to target Colorado. "This last weekend — which I know has been a hard one for many residents of Denver — I think, not just watching the heartbreak for Minneapolis, but the uncertainty and the fear that we know...
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Denver Mayor’s Sanctuary City Legal Costs Reach Full $2 Million Limit
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Denver Mayor’s Sanctuary City Legal Costs Reach Full $2 Million Limit

By Deborah Grigsby | The Denver Gazette The bill for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s legal defense for that March 5 hearing before the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on “sanctuary” cities has reached its $2 million contractual limit. Just as the year closed out on Dec. 30, a fifth payment, in the amount of $950,000 — almost half of the value of the entire contract — was made from the city’s general fund to Covington & Burling LLC, the D.C.-based law firm that represented Johnston and the city during the highly publicized congressional hearing. The payment now brings the total for Johnston’s defense to $2 million, the exact payment cap set forth by the contract city officials entered into shortly before the hearing in Washington, D.C.  ...
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Do Better Denver breaks cover, says her mission is “calling out the failures of our elected officials”
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Commentary, Local

Do Better Denver breaks cover, says her mission is “calling out the failures of our elected officials”

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has no shortage of critics, but perhaps his harshest is the mysterious person behind "Do Better Denver." The social media account -- on X and Instagram -- launched right after Johnston took office two years ago and has amassed a following of more than 150,000. The manager of the account is anonymous and has never granted an in-person interview until now. She spoke exclusively with CBS Colorado Your Political Reporter Shaun Boyd, but insisted she remain anonymous. Her critics say she hides her identity to avoid accountability for what she posts online. She says she's concerned for her safety, especially with the recent rise in political violence. She shared some of the threats she's received. She is a polarizing and powerfu...
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