DENVER — Leaders of many Colorado cities and counties were surprised to learn that their communities were placed on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) list of sanctuary jurisdictions.
The list, which was published Thursday evening, started off with 41 Colorado counties and 15 cities. By Friday morning, Weld and El Paso counties, as well as the City of Aurora, were removed from the list.
The list was compiled using a number of factors, including whether the cities or localities identified themselves as sanctuary jurisdictions, according to DHS. The agency took into account how much cities or localities complied already with federal officials enforcing immigration laws, if they had restrictions on sharing information with immigration enforcement or had any legal protections for people in the country illegally.
Lafayette Mayor JD Mangat told Denver7 he learned his city was on the list Thursday night when people started messaging him. He said he did not receive prior notification from federal officials.
“I think this news kind of came out of nowhere,” said Mangat.
DHS said the cities and counties on the list are defying federal immigration law and endangering the lives of Americans and law enforcement.
“We in Lafayette were particularly surprised to see our name on that list,” said Mangat. “By the way, the name of our city was misspelled.”
The names of several Colorado communities were misspelled, including Lafayette and Northglenn.
Mangat wonders why Lafayette was even put on the list in the first place, saying it is not a sanctuary city.
“This felt very confusing, not just to the city of Lafayette but, like I said, to a lot of my colleagues and other municipalities as well,” said Mangat. “Why our name was added to the list, I'm not sure.”
Mangat said Lafayette passed a resolution several years ago affirming the city’s commitment to protect all people regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, but said that doesn’t make it a sanctuary city.
“We simply just want to make sure that we provide the basic human rights, basic services, basic protections that everyone is afforded under equal protection of the law within the city of Lafayette,” the mayor said.
- Scripps New Groups' Lori Jane Gliha breaks down how DHS determined which Colorado cities and counties to include in its list of "sanctuary jurisdictions" in the video player below:
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in April, directing DHS to identify sanctuary cities and counties, warning that cities and counties on the list could lose federal funding and contracts.
“I think it definitely is an intimidation tactic, but we don't really get intimidated,” said Mangat. “We do what's in the best interest of our residents and our community. We have no interest in breaking the law. We have not broken the law.”
Multiple cities and counties told Denver7 they follow all local, state, and federal laws.
“Considering DHS has removed several Colorado counties from the list less than 24 hours after publishing, it doesn’t seem like they even know what their own criteria is,” said Jordan Fuja, the press secretary for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. “Denver follows federal, state, and local laws and works with federal law enforcement to get criminals off the street. In fact, Denver has seen one of the largest drops in homicides in the country thanks to our law enforcement’s laser focus on preventing crime.”
Politics
DHS removes two Colorado counties, one city from 'sanctuary jurisdictions' list
Boulder County commissioners also released a strong statement, accusing DHS of making “baseless claims” and using “inflammatory language likely designed to scare people and turn communities against one another.”
“If being a ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’ means that we support due process of law and human rights, then we are proud of that moniker,” the statement said. “We act within the confines of the law and provide due process for everyone. Unlike the Trump Administration, we uphold our oath of office and are proud to support and follow federal, state, and local laws, including the U.S. Constitution. The same U.S. Constitution, which includes the 10th Amendment that prevents the federal government from forcing states to use their own resources to enforce federal statutes, including immigration laws.”
“The United States has real problems right now, none of which are solved by attacking and intimidating local governments,” the statement continued. “We are local officials, who are working to make a real difference in people’s day-to-day lives. We will not bow down to bullying tactics designed to keep us from supporting those most in need.”
DHS also listed the State of Colorado as a sanctuary jurisdiction.
“Colorado is not a sanctuary state, despite this completely incorrect designation by DHS,” said Governor Jared Polis. “I am pleased that, given the lack of specificity provided for how this designation was made, that Aurora, El Paso County, and Weld County have already been removed, and I hope that others – including the state – are soon too. Colorado prioritizes public safety, and local and state law enforcement work closely with federal law enforcement to apprehend criminals, whether they are from this country or not. We cannot comment further as DHS did not provide information as to how the incorrect determination of states, counties, and cities were made but we hope it continues to be fixed.”
Arapahoe County released a statement on Friday about being on the list.
"We are unclear as to why Arapahoe County appears on this list, as we comply with federal laws and uphold both the U.S. and Colorado Constitutions," said Jill McGranahan, the public information officer for the county. "Until we receive more information or official guidance from DHS, it would be inappropriate for us to speculate or provide further comment."
The City and County of Broomfield also responded to it being placed on DHS's list.
"We are aware that the Department of Homeland Security has published a list of jurisdictions across the country that it has labeled sanctuary jurisdictions, including the City and County of Broomfield and other cities and counties in Colorado," the statement read. "Broomfield has not received any formal notification from DHS. We will review any communications carefully and will continue to operate in accordance with applicable state and federal laws."
