DENVER — With the incoming Trump administration promising mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is facing scrutiny for recent comments he made, appearing to suggest he’d use Denver police to block federal immigration officials from doing their job.
“More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” Johnston told Denverite in an interview. “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right?” You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. And you do not want to mess with them.”
Those comments were shared on social media and quickly went viral.
Some social media users said Johnston would be in violation of federal law. Others accused the mayor of trying to start a civil war.
Denver7 tried asking Johnston about his comments on Thursday morning after he left a holiday event, but he fled from reporters, saying he had to get to another event.
A staffer with the mayor said he had a busy schedule on Thursday. You can watch the moment they mayor flees from reporters in the video below.
After attending a holiday event Thursday morning, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston @denversmayor @MikeJohnstonCO fled from reporters who were trying to ask him about recent comments he made in which he said Denver Police would be "stationed at the county line" to keep federal forces… pic.twitter.com/4sqAEs5KiB
— Brandon Richard (@BrandonLRichard) November 21, 2024
The "Highland moms" the mayor referred to are the group of citizens who organized donation drives for immigrants when waves of them started showing up in Denver toward the end of last year.
Johnston’s comments seemed to be well received in their private Facebook group.
“I think the next four years will be a tough, tough four years. And I genuinely believe that it is a fight for all of us,” said Gladis Ibarra, the co-executive director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.
She said since Trump’s win, immigrant families in Colorado are worried.
"He's made promises, and I think we should be prepared for those promises coming into some type of action,” said Ibarra.
Ibarra said it’s important for state and local leaders to step up and defend immigrants in this moment.
“We've seen our governor join forces with other governors to make sure that they protect democracy. I think the best way to do that is to show that we can hold the line here in Colorado and continue to be a leader in that way,” said Ibarra. “I would say the bare minimum is holding the line on the pieces of legislation they have passed, ensuring that those protections remain in place, that they are respected, and that there is accountability for any efforts to violate them.”
Last week, Gov. Jared Polis and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker launched Governors Safeguarding Democracy, an initiative they said is committed to protecting state-level institutions of democracy amid “increasing threats against American democracy – including the dangers of authoritarianism and the undermining of democratic institutions.”
"In this moment, protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level," Polis said. "Governors Safeguarding Democracy shows our shared dedication to defending the democratic principles upon which our country is built."
Ibarra said ordinary citizens can also step up to defend immigrants.
“I think simple acts of solidarity go a long way,” said Ibarra. “The flags that are put out in solidarity when people see that they are welcome, they understand that this is a safe space for them. So, I would say those actions go a long way.”
The Trump-Vance transition team did not respond directly to Johnston’s comments but said Trump was committed to his deportation plan.
“Local and state officials on the frontlines of the Harris-Biden border invasion have been suffering for four years and are eager for President Trump to return to the Oval Office,” said Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the transition team and the next White House Press Secretary. “On day one, President Trump will marshal every lever of power to secure the border, protect their communities, and launch the largest mass deportation operation of illegal immigrant criminals in history.”
In a statement Thursday evening, a representative for Johnson said the mayor is "considering a number of options to strengthen protections for all of our residents."
Full statement:
"In Denver we respect the law and enforce it without fear or favor across every inch of our city. If Donald Trump tries to break the law and abuse his power, he will get no help from us," said Mayor Mike Johnston. “Denver is proud to be a welcoming city, and we will do everything in our power to protect those who live here. We are considering a number of options to strengthen protections for all our residents, and we continue to provide education about the rights of our immigrant community so they can best protect themselves from any unlawful actions.”
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