Colorado Gov. Jared Polis ups actions on immigrant crisis as pressure grows

State of play: Fellow Democrats at the state and local level have criticized him amid an absence of a robust statewide effort to address the deepening humanitarian crisis.

• He's also taken punches from Republicans, who blame him for signing a sanctuary law in 2019 "that prompted the influx."

Catch up quick: To the chagrin of some, Polis ignored the issue in his January State of the State address because "he knows the Colorado Legislature can't make immigration law" and has called on Congress "repeatedly and loudly" to act, spokesperson Shelby Wieman told Axios Denver.

• Despite Polis freeing up nearly $30 million of state and federal funds for transportation, nonprofits and legal clinics, he's been blasted for not making bolder moves.
• That includes measures like deploying the National Guard in Colorado or declaring a state of emergency, as governors in New York and Massachusetts have done, respectively.

The latest: In recent weeks, however, Polis has used his position to further elevate the issue — doing multiple national interviews and even traveling to the White House last week, where he spoke with President Biden and other governors in search of a solution.

• He's also working with state lawmakers to provide additional funding for school districts scrambling to meet the demand of new arrivals, Wieman said.

Yes, but: Much of what Polis has done in the past few weeks, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has been doing for months.

• This week, Johnston called Polis a "great partner," but said the city is still "carrying the overwhelming share of this statewide impact" and needs "more resources."

What they're saying: Many city council members echo Johnston's concerns.

• "If this were any other person, I think I might accept that," council president Jamie Torres told CPR. But "this is a governor who I think has historically been … not just friendly, but welcoming to immigrants … I guess I expected more."

What's next: Johnston's administration on Wednesday is planning to share how it will begin to reduce the number of immigrants it's serving and the types of services it's providing.