County prepared to litigate until local law enforcement can cooperate with federal law enforcement
Posted on December 17, 2024 2024News and Events
The Board of Douglas County Commissioners plans to appeal a Denver District Court Judge’s dismissal of the County’s lawsuit against two state immigration laws.
Earlier this year, the Board of Douglas County Commissioners and Sheriff Darren Weekly – along with several other counties that ultimately represent 25% of Colorado’s population – sued the state to challenge two immigration-related laws.
The first law in the litigation, passed in 2019 (HB19-1124), prohibits local governments from cooperating with the federal government in immigration enforcement and prohibits the sharing of judicial information with federal officials. The second law in the litigation, passed in 2023 (HB23-1100), prohibits any local government from entering an IGA with the federal government for civil immigration enforcement.
The District Court dismissed the case Tuesday afternoon. Douglas County anticipated this outcome and from the outset and is prepared to appeal.
“The bottom line is, the judge got it wrong,” said Commissioner George Teal. “We want to cooperate with the federal government on matters of public safety and immigration. We pay taxes too, to the feds. These (state) laws that we are suing on prohibit us from accessing those federal services.”
“We cannot cloak our local law enforcement in secrecy when it comes to people coming into our country. It is critically important that they get the information they need to keep our community safe” said Commissioner Abe Laydon. “Douglas County supports legal immigration through the proper channels and the plight of refugees seeking freedom. It is illegal immigration which harms all of us and hurts legal immigrants the most.”
“We are required by these state laws to conceal the identity of those who committed a crime and are here in our country illegally,” said Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle. “We cannot stand idly by, barred by the state from cooperating with federal agencies when public safety is at risk.
Read more about the other actions the Board of Douglas County Commissioners has taken on immigration in a previous news release on this topic.
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