Latest news with #SB21-131
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Groups to join lawsuit against Polis over alleged ICE cooperation
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.
Axios
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Exclusive: Denver mayor calls DOJ immigration suit legally baseless
Mayor Mike Johnston tells Axios Denver the Trump administration has "no grounds" to sue the city or state over its so-called "sanctuary" immigration policies — and says Denver won't be intimidated. Why it matters: Colorado and its capital city are a national test case for how far the federal government can push cities and states to enforce immigration policy. Johnston's defiant tone signals that Denver won't fold quietly, if at all — even under legal fire and political pressure. What he's saying: "There is no law that Denver has broken," Johnston said in an interview with Axios Denver on Saturday. He resists the "sanctuary city" label, instead arguing that Denver strikes a careful balance — avoiding immigration status checks to protect civil liberties, staying within the bounds of federal law and cooperating with ICE, particularly with detainer requests. Johnston says Denver has complied with federal immigration authorities for years and draws sharp distinctions between his city and other cities and states that face similar legal action by the DOJ — including New York state as well as Illinois and Chicago — for not cooperating. Unlike those jurisdictions, Johnston explains, neither Denver nor Colorado shield immigration status from ICE because they never ask for it in the first place. "If [ICE] contacts us and says, 'You have John Smith in custody — when is he being released?' We notify them of the release date," Johnston says. "We've done that more than 1,200 times over the last decade." Driving the news: The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday sued Colorado and Denver in U.S. District Court, claiming its so-called "sanctuary" laws — which limit cooperation with ICE unless there's a judicial warrant — are "disastrous policies" that interfere with federal enforcement and violate the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, per court records obtained by Axios Denver. The filing cites a viral 2024 video depicting alleged Tren de Aragua gang members storming apartments in Aurora. The gang's U.S. "foothold," the suit claims, is "the direct byproduct" of Colorado's immigration policies. The suit also names Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Attorney General Phil Weiser, Johnston, the state Legislature, Denver City Council, the Denver Sheriff Department and Denver Sheriff Elias Diggins. Zoom in: The DOJ is challenging five key local laws: HB19-1124 – banning law enforcement from honoring ICE detainers unless there's a judicial warrant. SB21-131 – blocking agencies from sharing biometric and immigration data with ICE. HB 23-1100 – prohibiting local governments from entering new contracts with ICE for immigration detention. Denver's ordinance 940-17 and executive order 142 – barring city employees from aiding civil immigration enforcement or allowing ICE into jails without a judge's sign-off. State of play: The lawsuit comes two months after Johnston testified before the House Oversight Committee, where he was threatened with jail time and referred to the DOJ by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) for criminal investigation over Denver's immigration policies. It also arrives days after the Trump administration rescinded $24 million in grants that would have helped the city offset migrant shelter costs. What we're watching: Whether the DOJ's case survives legal scrutiny.
