Colorado and Denver reject DOJ's immigration ultimatum
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The Department of Justice building in Washington. Photo: Kevin Carter/Getty Images
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Denver's acting city attorney sent letters Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi refusing to roll back laws that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Why it matters: Their move defies Bondi's demand last week that they submit a plan by Tuesday to roll back their "sanctuary" laws — even as she threatens to prosecute state and local officials who won't comply.
What they're saying: "Colorado, like many states, will not allow the federal government to commandeer our public safety resources," Polis wrote, citing protections under the 10th Amendment. "We do not find any conflict between state and federal law in this matter."
- Denver's acting city attorney, Katie McLoughlin, said Denver has "no intention" of changing its practices.
Context: Colorado and Denver leaders have resisted the "sanctuary" label but uphold policies that restrict local police from asking about immigration status while still complying with federal law and working with ICE in specific cases.
- Denver Mayor Mike Johnston defended the city's policies to a congressional panel in March.
The other side: In Bondi's letter to the governor and Johnston, the attorney general wrote that their policies have "obstructed federal immigration enforcement" for too long, "giving aliens cover to perpetrate crimes in our communities."
- Bondi referenced President Trump's order threatening to withhold federal funding from jurisdictions that "obstruct" federal immigration enforcement — something Denver and others are already challenging in court.
- Identical letters were sent to dozens of other so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, including Boston, Seattle and Portland.
- In a Fox News interview last week, she said: "You better be abiding by our federal policies and with our federal law enforcement, because if you're not, we're going to come after you."
What we're watching: The U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit in May targeting Colorado and Denver over their immigration policies, and the suit is ongoing.