logo
Groups to join lawsuit against Polis over alleged ICE cooperation

Groups to join lawsuit against Polis over alleged ICE cooperation

Yahoo10-06-2025
DENVER (KDVR) — A lawsuit was filed against Governor Jared Polis after a state official said the governor ordered him to comply with a subpoena from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Monday, more groups announced they are joining the litigation and called out the governor in the process. The new groups include lawmakers, labor groups and immigration advocates, all calling out Polis for what they say is a violation of a law he just signed two weeks ago.
Colorado joins lawsuit against ATF over deal ending ban on rapid-fire triggers for rifles
'Little did I know, y'all, Governor Polis would apparently ignore his own advisors, his agency directors and the very language he himself signed into law to bend the knee to a bunch of ICE goons who were too lazy to go and talk to a judge,' said Julie Gonzalez at the rally held Monday at the state capital. Gonzalez is a prime sponsor of two bills, SB21-131 and SB25-276. Supporters of the lawsuit are questioning whether the governor violated those bills.
Bill sponsors along with other lawmakers, including some chamber leaders, are standing with unions representing state workers calling out the governor: supporting a lawsuit that alleges he instructed the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics Director of the State's Department of Labor and Employment to share what's known as PII or personal identifying information with ICE.
Colorado Wins, Towards Justice and Colorado's AFL-CIO announced Monday they will be joining the lawsuit along with Scott Moss, the state department director who came forward with the allegation. Groups worry Homeland Security's request for information from the Department of Labor could have other intentions.
'If they are familiar with the undocumented community, they might be working in a location that has other undocumented workers. And so their work history which was part of the information that was requested, their workplace history could lead to targets of those workplaces,' said Diane Byrne, president of Colorado Wins.
ICE said they were requesting the information for an investigation involving unaccompanied children in an effort to make sure the children were being properly cared for. But supporters of the lawsuit say nothing on the subpoena indicates this investigation is criminal rather than civil.
'There is nothing on the face of the subpoena that suggested that this is related to a criminal investigation. It cites the civil code, it has not been through any sort of judicial process. It was not issued by a court and not approved by a court. There is nothing here to suggest that this is related to a criminal investigation and it's unclear to us why the governor would be bending over backwards to try to find a justification that isn't there,' said David Seligman, Executive Director of Towards Justice.
Colorado Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen resigns to take national position
In a statement from the Governor's Office, a spokesperson told FOX31:
'The decision to respond to this federal subpoena due to concerns about potential crimes against vulnerable minors was carefully considered in accordance with Colorado law, which allows for sharing information to support timely criminal investigations. Keeping kids safe is a top priority, child exploitation is a deeply concerning issue, and has no place in our state. Complying with this federal subpoena meets the requirements laid out in state law and providing this information is in service of investigating and preventing any criminal activity, which Governor Polis is deeply committed to.'
Spokesperson for Governor Jared Polis
The CDLE whistleblower who filed the lawsuit, Scott Moss, was also in attendance Monday but did not want to speak on the matter at this time.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Judge orders ICE to improve conditions after NYC immigration detainees complain of mistreatment
Judge orders ICE to improve conditions after NYC immigration detainees complain of mistreatment

CNN

time42 minutes ago

  • CNN

Judge orders ICE to improve conditions after NYC immigration detainees complain of mistreatment

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration Tuesday to immediately improve conditions at a New York City immigration holding facility, acting on complaints by jailed migrants that it is dirty, smelly and overcrowded. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, ruling in a lawsuit filed on behalf of detainees, issued a temporary restraining order requiring US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to limit capacity, ensure cleanliness and provide sleeping mats in so-called hold rooms at 26 Federal Plaza, a government building in Manhattan. Cellphone video recorded last month by a detainee showed about two dozen men crowded in one of the building's four hold rooms, many lying on the floor with thermal blankets but no mattresses or padding. In court filings, detainees complained they had no soap, toothbrushes or other hygiene products. They said they were fed inedible 'slop' and endured the 'horrific stench' of sweat, urine and feces, in part because the rooms have open toilets. One woman having her period couldn't use menstrual products because women in her room were given just two to divvy up, the lawsuit said. Kaplan ordered immigration officials to allocate 50 square feet per person – shrinking the largest hold room's capacity to about 15 people after detainees said 40 or more were being jammed in. The building, home to immigration court and the FBI's New York field office, has become an epicenter of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. The judge ordered the government to thoroughly clean the cells three times a day and provide an adequate supply of hygiene products. Addressing concerns that detainees weren't able to communicate with lawyers, Kaplan ordered the government to make accommodations for confidential legal telephone calls. 'My conclusion here is that there is a very serious threat of continuing irreparable injury, given the conditions that I've been told about,' Kaplan said at a hearing Tuesday where a government lawyer conceded that some of the complaints were valid. 'I think we all agree that conditions at 26 Federal Plaza need to be humane, and we obviously share that belief,' government lawyer Jeffrey S. Oestericher said, adding that he agreed 'inhumane conditions are not appropriate and should not be tolerated.' The lawsuit – filed by the immigrant rights organization Make the Road New York, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union – sought court intervention to end what plaintiff lawyer Heather Gregorio called 'inhumane and horrifying conditions.' Some detainees have been held at 26 Federal Plaza far longer than the 72-hour norm, Gregorio said. Murad Awawdeh, the president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, welcomed Kaplan's ruling as a 'step forward' but said the facility 'must be shut down permanently.' New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was arrested at 26 Federal Plaza in June after he tried to lock arms with a person authorities were attempting to detain, said the decision 'is a much-needed rebuke of Trump's cruel immigration policies.' In a sworn declaration, Nancy Zanello, of ICE's New York City Field Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, wrote that as of Monday, a total of 24 people were held in the building's four hold rooms – well shy of the city fire marshal's 154-person cap. Each room has at least one toilet and sink, and hygiene products are available, including soap, teeth cleaning wipes and feminine products, Zanello said. Sergio Barco Mercado, the lawsuit's named plaintiff, said in a court filing that he was held at 26 Federal Plaza for two days last week after his arrest there while leaving an immigration court hearing. Barco Mercado, a native of Peru who said he sought asylum in the US in 2022, said his hold room was 'extremely crowded,' cold and 'smelled of sewage,' and that the conditions exacerbated a tooth infection that swelled his face and altered his speech. 'We did not always get enough water,' Barco Mercado said. 'There was one guard who would sometimes hold a bottle of water up and people would wait to have him squirt some into our mouths, like we were animals.' Another detainee, Carlos Lopez Benitez, said he fled violence in Paraguay in 2023 and was seeking asylum in the US when he was arrested in July while leaving an immigration hearing. He said officers told him he'd be in detention until a 2029 hearing on his asylum application. Lopez Benitez said an officer showed him a cellphone photo of his arrest and mocked him for crying. In his holding cell, he said, officers blasted air conditioning and doled out meals that 'looked like dog food.'

Judge orders ICE to improve conditions after NYC immigration detainees complain of mistreatment
Judge orders ICE to improve conditions after NYC immigration detainees complain of mistreatment

CNN

time42 minutes ago

  • CNN

Judge orders ICE to improve conditions after NYC immigration detainees complain of mistreatment

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration Tuesday to immediately improve conditions at a New York City immigration holding facility, acting on complaints by jailed migrants that it is dirty, smelly and overcrowded. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, ruling in a lawsuit filed on behalf of detainees, issued a temporary restraining order requiring US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to limit capacity, ensure cleanliness and provide sleeping mats in so-called hold rooms at 26 Federal Plaza, a government building in Manhattan. Cellphone video recorded last month by a detainee showed about two dozen men crowded in one of the building's four hold rooms, many lying on the floor with thermal blankets but no mattresses or padding. In court filings, detainees complained they had no soap, toothbrushes or other hygiene products. They said they were fed inedible 'slop' and endured the 'horrific stench' of sweat, urine and feces, in part because the rooms have open toilets. One woman having her period couldn't use menstrual products because women in her room were given just two to divvy up, the lawsuit said. Kaplan ordered immigration officials to allocate 50 square feet per person – shrinking the largest hold room's capacity to about 15 people after detainees said 40 or more were being jammed in. The building, home to immigration court and the FBI's New York field office, has become an epicenter of President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. The judge ordered the government to thoroughly clean the cells three times a day and provide an adequate supply of hygiene products. Addressing concerns that detainees weren't able to communicate with lawyers, Kaplan ordered the government to make accommodations for confidential legal telephone calls. 'My conclusion here is that there is a very serious threat of continuing irreparable injury, given the conditions that I've been told about,' Kaplan said at a hearing Tuesday where a government lawyer conceded that some of the complaints were valid. 'I think we all agree that conditions at 26 Federal Plaza need to be humane, and we obviously share that belief,' government lawyer Jeffrey S. Oestericher said, adding that he agreed 'inhumane conditions are not appropriate and should not be tolerated.' The lawsuit – filed by the immigrant rights organization Make the Road New York, the New York Civil Liberties Union and the American Civil Liberties Union – sought court intervention to end what plaintiff lawyer Heather Gregorio called 'inhumane and horrifying conditions.' Some detainees have been held at 26 Federal Plaza far longer than the 72-hour norm, Gregorio said. Murad Awawdeh, the president and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition, welcomed Kaplan's ruling as a 'step forward' but said the facility 'must be shut down permanently.' New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who was arrested at 26 Federal Plaza in June after he tried to lock arms with a person authorities were attempting to detain, said the decision 'is a much-needed rebuke of Trump's cruel immigration policies.' In a sworn declaration, Nancy Zanello, of ICE's New York City Field Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, wrote that as of Monday, a total of 24 people were held in the building's four hold rooms – well shy of the city fire marshal's 154-person cap. Each room has at least one toilet and sink, and hygiene products are available, including soap, teeth cleaning wipes and feminine products, Zanello said. Sergio Barco Mercado, the lawsuit's named plaintiff, said in a court filing that he was held at 26 Federal Plaza for two days last week after his arrest there while leaving an immigration court hearing. Barco Mercado, a native of Peru who said he sought asylum in the US in 2022, said his hold room was 'extremely crowded,' cold and 'smelled of sewage,' and that the conditions exacerbated a tooth infection that swelled his face and altered his speech. 'We did not always get enough water,' Barco Mercado said. 'There was one guard who would sometimes hold a bottle of water up and people would wait to have him squirt some into our mouths, like we were animals.' Another detainee, Carlos Lopez Benitez, said he fled violence in Paraguay in 2023 and was seeking asylum in the US when he was arrested in July while leaving an immigration hearing. He said officers told him he'd be in detention until a 2029 hearing on his asylum application. Lopez Benitez said an officer showed him a cellphone photo of his arrest and mocked him for crying. In his holding cell, he said, officers blasted air conditioning and doled out meals that 'looked like dog food.'

Markey's missing endorsements
Markey's missing endorsements

Politico

time43 minutes ago

  • Politico

Markey's missing endorsements

PASS — Sen. Ed Markey is rolling out another round of endorsements today, this time from state and local electeds from the North Shore. The slate of nearly two dozen mayors, legislators and county politicians includes state Sens. Joan Lovely and Jason Lewis, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson, Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo and 14 state representatives. One notable north-of-Boston name from the you won't see on the list: Rep. Seth Moulton. Markey's campaign has announced endorsements from four members of the all-Democratic Massachusetts congressional delegation, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, and Lori Trahan, often bundling the announcements with a slew of endorsements from officials in the same congressional district. But so far, those viewed as the most likely or most competitive potential challengers to the 79-year-old incumbent — Moulton and Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Ayanna Pressley — haven't made the lists. Polls testing potential matchups between Markey and other members of the delegation, including Auchincloss, Moulton and Pressley, circulated this spring, and another popped up recently, according to screenshots of the surveys shared with Playbook, but no polling showing what a Democratic primary race would look like has been made public. It's still early. And some electeds may be wary of throwing their support behind Markey before they know what the field will actually look like. Multiple members endorsed Markey in 2020 before then-Rep. Joe Kennedy III officially got in the race, making things awkward for some of those who were close with Kennedy, but already on board with Markey. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Polling a potential Senate race? Let me know: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey has no public events. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at the Massachusetts Lodging Association's 'Outlook 2026' at 9 a.m., makes an announcement about commuter ferry funding at 10:30 a.m. in Boston and chairs a Governor's Council meeting at noon at the State House. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Lori Trahan attend a groundbreaking for the Rourke Bridge replacement project at 11 a.m. in Lowell. Markey hosts a press conference after joining a roundtable with veterans and service providers at the UMass Chan Medical School at 2 p.m. in Worcester. Trahan highlights federal funding that was spent to acquire three new emergency vehicles at 1 p.m. in Gardner. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the Boston Fire Department recruit graduation ceremony at 9 a.m. in the Seaport. DATELINE BEACON HILL — Lawmakers seek to ban impersonating ICE agents by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: 'A bipartisan group of lawmakers are hoping to close a 'loophole' in state law that allows people who impersonate ICE agents and other federal authorities to shake down immigrants or sexually assault women to go without punishment. The proposal, filed by state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, Rep. Anne Margaret Ferranate, D-Gloucester, and others would make it a crime to impersonate a federal law enforcement official. Under current law, criminal charges can only be filed against someone accused of impersonating a state or local law-enforcement official.' — Gov. Maura Healey shuttles $46M towards electric vehicle charging in Massachusetts by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: 'Gov. Maura Healey's administration announced Tuesday that it plans to shuttle $46 million over the next two fiscal years to build up electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the state. Officials in Massachusetts have spent years trying to bulk up the state's fleet of electric vehicle charging stations in an attempt to bridge gaps in service along highways and in neighborhoods. But a report released alongside the funding said charging bandwidth 'needs to increase to meet demand from EV drivers and the Commonwealth's climate requirements.'' — Critics hammer Gov. Healey as she ends shelter emergency by Walter Wuthmann, WBUR: 'The first two years of Gov. Maura Healey's term in office were dominated by the state's migrant crisis, and the headlines came at a blistering pace: Images of families sleeping on the floor of Boston's Logan airport; news that whole hotels were booked to accommodate families; criticism of the hundreds of millions of dollars the state would spend on services. By August 2023, the situation felt untenable to most leaders on Beacon Hill. That's when Healey made a big announcement: The Massachusetts shelter system was in a state of emergency. She did so from a podium at the State House, speaking to a gaggle of reporters as cameras rolled. So it surprised some political observers this month when Healey announced, without fanfare, the 'end' of the shelter emergency. There was no press conference, no podium, no cameras. Just an email sent to reporters on a Friday afternoon.' — Accused State House vandal tied to pro-Palestinian group, prosecutors say by Matthew Medsgar, Boston Herald. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts is releasing its slate of mayoral and city council endorsements today, ahead of the September preliminary elections. In Boston, the group is backing Mayor Michelle Wu for reelection; Councilors Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Henry Santana and challenger Alexandra Valdez in the At-Large race; Said Abdikarim for the open District 7 seat; and district Councilors Gabriela Coletta Zapata, Brian Worrell, Enrique Pepen, Sharon Durkan and Liz Breadon for reelection. PPAF is also endorsing Worcester City Councilor Khrystian King in his bid for mayor in Worcester, and City Councilor Moises Rodrigues, who is running for mayor Brockton. FROM THE HUB CHANGING TOURISM — Condé Nast Traveler's Sarah Khan is out with a piece on Boston's evolving tourism scene, featuring Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, state Rep. Chris Worrell, the Chinatown Community Land Trust Lydia Lowe, retaurateur Nia Grace, Comfort Kitchen's Nyacko Pearl Perry and more. — 13 arrested in Mass and Cass human trafficking bust, Boston Police say by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'Thirteen people were arrested in connection with a human trafficking bust carried out by Boston, state and federal authorities at the troubled Mass and Cass area. The joint operation — carried out by special units from the Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and FBI — focused on the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, BPD said on Tuesday.' — Opponents of White Stadium project unveil new alternative design, with updated cost of $64.6 million by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: 'Opponents of the city of Boston's redevelopment of White Stadium unveiled an updated alternative proposal for the facility on Tuesday, in their latest push for the city to opt for a different, less-expensive design for the Franklin Park site. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy's latest plan would cost the city about $64.6 million, the group said, and could serve as a scaled-back upgrade for the dilapidated stadium that the city could fund on its own, without partnering with a new professional women's soccer team.' — What Boston's increase in homicides tells us by Steph Solis, Axios. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — MBTA taking another run at late-night trains, buses by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: 'Last call on the MBTA is about to get a little later. Nine years after pulling the plug on a prior weekend late-night service program, the MBTA this month will begin running all subways and several popular bus routes about an hour longer into the night. It's part of a new fall schedule that also boosts daytime trip frequency across most of the system. Agency leaders -- many of whom were not involved in the ill-fated pilot nearly a decade ago -- said Tuesday they want to provide a 'public service' for the commuters who need to take trips after about 1 a.m., including people enjoying a night out and those working overnight shifts, even if the demand is comparably smaller.' FROM THE 413 — $10 bucks and a fish dinner: State still eyeing Springfield's '23 election allegations by Stephanie Barry, The Springfield Republican: 'Investigators with the state Attorney General's Office continue to probe election fraud allegations from the 2023 mayoral race that pitted former City Councilor Justin Hurst against incumbent Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. Sarno won handily, becoming the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. Nearly two years later, a Massachusetts State Police trooper arrived at City Hall last week to obtain video footage outside the city Elections Office, showing Hurst and his campaign volunteers shuttling voters, primarily from a city homeless shelter, to the polls, according to City Solicitor Stephen J. Buoniconti.' — Residents again pack City Council chambers to speak out about Pittsfield's proposed camping ordinance by Maryjane Williams, The Berkshire Eagle: 'Residents again packed the City Council chambers Tuesday night to speak out about the city's proposed camping ordinance, with many urging councilors to slow down, seek more community input and explore alternatives.' THE LOCAL ANGLE — Officers investigated for misconduct collect thousands in pension benefits by Grace Ferguson and Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light: 'One longtime police officer was accused of depositing department funds into his wife's personal bank account. Another veteran officer withheld an inhaler from an asthmatic man in custody and lied about it. Then there's the infamous narcotics detective Jared Lucas, who made headlines for secretly sleeping with his informant. All three served the New Bedford Police Department, and all three together have earned more than $400,000 from the New Bedford pension system in just the last few years. They retired while their supervisors considered firing them for misconduct.' — New Bedford schools declared 'safe zone' from ICE by School Committee by Frank Mulligan, The Standard-Times. HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Dr. Christopher Westgate has been appointed as the new associate provost at Endicott College. He had worked at Johnson & Wales University. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Sen. Patrick O'Connor, state Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn, Josh Romney, Nicholas Hull, Eric M. Nelson and Denise Perrault.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store