A slate of Colorado jurisdictions are considering or actively pursuing a lawsuit over sanctuary policies that they argue have invited illegal migrant crime into their communities.
The town council of Castle Rock, Colorado, voted unanimously earlier this month to explore the possibility of suing Denver over its sanctuary city policies, according to CBS Colorado. The Denver suburbs of Aurora and Parker are also considering suing the city over its policies regarding immigrants as illegal migrant crime continues to weigh on residents across the state. (RELATED: ‘Exploitable Loopholes’: Biden Admin’s Latest Plan To Deal With Immigration Surge Could Have Unintended Consequences)
Douglas County and El Paso County announced a separate lawsuit in April against the state of Colorado that seeks to strike down two sanctuary laws that largely impede local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities — with Elbert, Garfield, Mesa and Rio Blanco counties joining in on that lawsuit the following month. The lawsuit being waged by the Colorado counties seeks to strike down House Bill 19-1124 and House Bill 23-1100, which were signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, a major proponent of sanctuary city policies in recent years.
Local leaders say residents are fed up with sanctuary policies that they argue are hurting — not helping — their communities tackle crime.
“Everyone is starting to realize that sanctuary cities do not protect citizens. They only protect criminals,” John Fabbricatore, a retired Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office director, stated Monday to the Daily Caller News Foundation. Fabbricatore is now running as a Republican to represent Colorado’s 6th congressional district, which encompasses some of the jurisdictions that are waging or considering a lawsuit over sanctuary city laws.
The GEO Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center is seen outside outside of Denver, Colorado on July 14, 2019. (Photo by Chet Strange / AFP) (Photo credit should read CHET STRANGE/AFP via Getty Images)
“Originally, when sanctuary city laws were written up, the left tried to pass them off as protecting immigrants, but immigrants don’t need protection from ICE because they are here legally,” Fabbricatore explained. “The only thing sanctuary cities really protect are those committing crimes, and as we see this influx of migrant crime, we are starting to see people realize that sanctuary cities are not in their best interest and that’s where these lawsuits are coming from.”
Fabbricatore added these jurisdictions are just looking for their police to have the ability to work with federal immigration authorities so criminal migrants can be identified and removed, making their communities safer.
House Bill 19-1124 prohibits local law enforcement from handing information over to ICE, and House Bill 23-1100 prohibits localities from entering into intergovernmental agreements with federal officials for civil immigration enforcement. Critics argue that both laws make it more difficult for deportation officers to operate in Colorado and are unconstitutional, according to a press release from Douglas County.
The Denver metro area has accepted over 42,000 migrants from Central and South America since December 2022, according to the Common Sense Institute. The organization estimates that city taxpayers and other local organizations have dolled out as much as $340 million to feed, clothe, shelter and provide other services to them.
Earlier this year, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston declared sweeping budget cuts in order to allocate enough money for migrant services, with an $8.4 million reduction from the city’s police department and a $2.5 million cut in funding to the fire department.
Local concern over the migrant crisis has increased after numerous incidents in the area have been connected to illegal migrants associated with Tren de Aragua, an international crime syndicate founded in Venezuela whose members have gained a foothold in the U.S.
Aurora police confirmed earlier this month that four individuals allegedly involved in a shootout that left people hospitalized are members or suspected members of Tren de Aragua, with ICE confirming to the DCNF that all four also entered the U.S. illegally during the Biden-Harris administration.
Aurora has been subject to national media coverage after footage of armed men inside an apartment complex went viral in August. Federal immigration authorities later confirmed the men in the video footage are members of Tren de Aragua, and the Aurora city officials sought a court order to clear the apartment building, according to Fox 31.
“Denver’s broken and failed ‘newcomer’ policy has brought criminals into Denver and restricted law enforcement from executing their jobs to protect our citizens,” Castle Rock Councilmember Max Brooks told the DCNF on Monday. “Aurora and the Tren de Aragua gangs are the fruit of this woke, broken labor.”
Brooks led the motion to direct the town’s attorney to begin exploring legal options, and he says he’s specifically working with other municipalities on this potential lawsuit in order to have “strength in numbers” if and when they face Denver government officials.
“This motion is specific to stopping Denver from bringing in more illegal migrants and exacerbating the damage already caused on neighboring communities as these migrants and criminals seek shelter and criminal opportunity outside of Denver,” Brooks continued.
Neither Polis’ office nor Denver responded to a request for comment from the DCNF.
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