Colorado House passes immigration protections after DOJ sues for ‘sanctuary' policies
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado's Democratic lawmakers are pushing ahead on immigration bills despite the U.S. Department of Justice filing a lawsuit Friday to challenge those laws.
One of those measures, SB25-276, 'Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status,' that lawmakers are pushing forward on, focuses on protecting civil rights and immigrant communities in Colorado and was passed by the House on Saturday after amendments were made. The vote was made along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed.
DOJ sues Colorado, Denver for so-called 'sanctuary laws'
The proposed measure includes a slew of actions that are designed to protect the civil rights of immigrants, including:
Repealing the requirement for an affidavit stating that an undocumented person has applied for lawful presence or will apply for lawful presence as soon as they are eligible when an undocumented person is applying for in-state student tuition or an identification document
Prohibiting jail custodians from delaying the release of a defendant for the purpose of an immigration enforcement operation
Extends the ability to petition a court to vacate a guilty plea to class 3 misdemeanors as classified at the time of plea if the defendant was not adequately advised of the adverse immigration consequences of a guilty plea or if the guilty plea was constitutionally infirm
Extends the prohibition on local law enforcement from enforcing a civil immigration detainer to also include peace officers
Prevents probation officers and departments from sharing personal information about a person with pretrial officers or pretrial services employees
Prevents employees of a detention facility from allowing federal immigration authorities into the non-public portions of a detention facility unless they are investigating a federal crime or as required by a federal warrant to transfer an inmate to or from federal custody
'Colorado is stronger when we all can contribute to our economy without fear,' said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, a Democrat representing Glenwood Springs, in a Colorado House Majority Office release. 'The Trump administration's attacks on our civil liberties have sparked chaos among our immigrant communities – parents are afraid to pick up their children from daycare, workers are scared to show up to their jobs.
'This fear doesn't just hurt our families, but our entire community and Colorado's economy. We're taking steps today to strengthen Colorado laws around personal data sharing and reaffirm our existing protections to ensure due process for all, regardless of immigration status,' Velasco added.
On April 27, federal and local officials conducted a major operation at what they are calling an illegal nightclub in Colorado Springs. Officials detained over 100 people during the operation and said many had entered the U.S. without going through proper channels.
As of the time of publication, FOX31 knew of only one person facing drug charges related to the operation, but is aware of several local law enforcement agencies that aided in the operation. FOX31 has not learned of any specific immigration cases related to the raid, and the U.S. Army staff sergeant charged with drug offenses appears to be a U.S. citizen.
Colorado sheriff: Executive order an 'attempt to federalize, by intimidation' local law enforcement
'Our bill safeguards the civil and constitutional rights of everyone in Colorado,' said Rep. Lorena García, a Democrat who represents unincorporated Adams County, in a release. 'Between carrying out sweeping, untargeted deportations that have included American citizens and defying federal court orders, the Trump administration's immigration overreach has struck fear in Colorado communities. To help protect everyone, we're limiting the sharing of personal data while clarifying protections in public spaces so we all can participate in our economy and communities.'
Proponents say the measure would build on existing data privacy laws, and repeal 'outdated' affidavit requirements to obtain a Colorado driver's license or in-state tuition, which the sponsors said would 'protect data from unwarranted collection by federal agencies.'
Rep. Ty Winter, a Republican representing House District 47, posted to X that he believes this solidifies Colorado as a sanctuary state, a title Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has repeatedly denied.
'Doubling down on policies like this diverts taxpayer dollars to non-citizens while turning their backs on hardworking Coloradans,' Winter wrote. 'I'll keep fighting to put public safety and our citizens first.'
Because the House passed amendments on the bill, it will return to the Senate for another vote before heading to the governor's desk for consideration to be signed into law.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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This senator said even lowering the ceiling from $40,000 to $30,000 could be risky since it might lead some of the House Republicans to vote against the bill. But the senator also suggested the SALT Republicans in the House could be bluffing. 'Is that enough to get you, because otherwise you say, 'I'm going to vote against the bill and for a $4 trillion tax increase as a Republican,'' the member continued. 'That's original sin there.' While Thune is signaling that the chamber will likely change the SALT provision, Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) — a former House member and key liaison between the two chambers — is saying the opposite. 'It was a hard fight over there,' Mullin said, pointing to its roughly $300 billion cost. 'It's a big number, but it was something they had to do to try to get the bill passed. We don't want to do something that would cause it not to pass.' 'The body here is going to work its will,' he continued. 'I would be a little [skeptical] about doing too much with SALT.' House Republicans in the SALT Caucus are warning they aren't bluffing. 'I wouldn't bet against a couple of salty Republicans, including a couple of salty New Yorkers,' LaLota said. 'I wouldn't bet against us.' Pressed on if the Senate should take the SALT Caucus' comments as a signal that the House will not pass a bill with a lower deduction cap, LaLota responded: 'That would be reasonable for them to consider that.' Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.), another member of the SALT Caucus, expressed confidence. 'The leadership is working and talking to the Senate on a regular basis and I'm very confident much of what we passed in the House will still be there,' Kim said. 'So I'm not gonna comment on how I'll be voting for it till I see the package that comes back to us.' 'We're already working to ensure that everything that we pass in the House is still kept in the Senate version,' she added. Asked if there was any wiggle room on their SALT deal, LaLota said: 'I'm eager to see what they actually come back with. I don't know why anybody would logically want to disrupt something that was the result of a lot of hard work, pain, heartache and ultimately compromise,' he added. When a reporter pointed out that his comments were not a firm no, he responded: 'I would love them to increase it. That would be a great idea if they came to us with $50,000, I would endorse it right away.'
