DENVER — An influential Colorado conservative organization is targeting the state’s immigration policies that they say place too many restrictions on law enforcement when it comes to cooperating with federal authorities.
Advance Colorado announced Tuesday that it has filed a ballot measure that would force state and local law enforcement to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security “to detain and deport violent criminals and repeat felons who are in Colorado illegally.”
The conservative action committee, led by Michael Fields, describes itself as "focused on reversing radical policies that are harming the state and restoring common sense values and principles in Colorado.”
The proposed measure targets three laws signed by Gov. Jared Polis in recent years: House Bill 19-1124, House Bill 23-1100, and Senate Bill 21-131. These measures prohibit police from assisting in non-criminal immigration enforcement and sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The measure would repeal and reenact Colorado 24-76.6-102 and force state and local law enforcement to cooperate with federal requests to notify the Department of Homeland Security before releasing an undocumented inmate charged with a crime of violence or has been convicted of a prior felony.
The group claims the measure is in response to “Colorado’s dangerous status as a sanctuary state.”
However, Gov. Jared Polis has refuted labeling Colorado as a so-called “sanctuary state” and has stated the state’s immigration policies do not protect undocumented immigrants from ICE.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the city does cooperate with ICE and other federal law enforcement when it comes to violent criminals. The Denver Sheriff's Department said it notifies ICE ahead of an inmate's release when it receives a request from the agency.
The filing process is lengthy, and the measure may not even appear on the ballot. However, the group has had a successful track record, with multiple ballot measures passing in recent years.
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