CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday came out against Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s testimony during a congressional hearing on "sanctuary cities," calling it political spin.
Johnston joined New York Mayor Eric Adams, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing on immigration.
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert joined fellow Colorado Republicans Gabe Evans and Jeff Crank in grilling Denver's mayor.
A combative Boebert – positioned right in front of Johnston for her questioning – took him to task over Colorado law, the city’s alleged role in the rise of Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Aurora and the $2 million Denver’s city council agreed to spend on legal representation for Johnston during the congressional inquiry.
- Watch the exchange in the video player below:
Boebert asked Johnston if he would join a call for a repeal of Colorado law that limits local law enforcement agencies in their interactions with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“I do not believe the detainer law needs to be changed,” Johnston said, later referencing more than 1,200 ICE detainers he says the city has honored.
- Denver7 Investigates: How Colorado law enforcement agencies respond to ICE detainers
Douglas County commissioners on Wednesday slammed Johnston’s testimony as political spin.
Commissioners Abe Laydon and George Teal told Denver7 they felt Johnston did not take ownership of his support of the state’s immigration-friendly laws.
“He's on Capitol Hill today saying, ‘Oh no, it's not me. It's a state law.’ Well, come on, it's disingenuous. It's disappointing,” said Teal.
The commissioners believe Johnston’s welcoming message to immigrants in recent years contributed to the state’s recent influx, which came with strained resources, budget cuts and high-profile crime.
“[Denver] thought they had a plan. It turns out they couldn't actually execute the logistics on the ground,” said Laydon, who referenced a letter sent from Douglas County commissioners to Johnston in March 2024, asking him to reverse what commissioners call sanctuary policies. “We were sounding the alarm bells, saying, ‘This is bad for Coloradans,’ and that was met with no response."
“We want to be human-first and human-centric. We always are,” Laydon added. “That's why, as a board, we support legal immigration. Go through the proper channels, and you will be fully supported.”
The commissioners also criticized the City of Denver's law firm contract, which could pay up to $2 million through Jan. 2026 for the congressional inquiry, a process that will likely go beyond Wednesday’s testimony in Washington, D.C.
Politics
Boebert, Evans, Crank grill Denver mayor during 'sanctuary city' hearing
The rhetoric ramped up in the commissioners’ press release, where Teal wrote, “Move over Joseph Stalin! Mayor Johnston rewrites history in DC.” When asked why he compared Johnston to the infamous Soviet dictator, Teal said it was because Johnston didn’t take responsibility for his actions that contributed to the state’s immigration crisis.
“He’s rewriting history. I mean, for goodness sakes, what's next?” Teal told Denver7. “The reality is, he started us down that road today by just not even acknowledging what his stance actually was, what his words actually were when he took over as mayor of Denver, and the word was, ‘We love the migrants.’”
Teal also referenced Johnston’s comments responding to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan when he compared Denver’s potential response to the Tiananmen Square protests and suggested Denver police could be part of the resistance to federal agents. Johnston has since walked back those comments.
Yet Laydon and Teal said Wednesday they want to work with Johnston. They believe, as part of the Denver metro area, his pro-immigration stance affects public safety in the surrounding areas.
“He's a friendly guy. I believe he wants to do the right thing,” Laydon said of Johnston. “It's not too late… Issue a new executive order [repealing immigrant protections] so that as the Denver metro area, we can keep our citizens safe.”
“If he isn't able to exert the leadership to have true, effective policies, listen, we're just going to have to take more steps to distance ourselves in legal framework, in policy set, from Denver,” Teal said. “Whether that's taking stances in the Denver Regional Council of Governments to support the president's plan to defund cities that are sanctuary cities, or it's other steps that we could take to distance ourselves to where we can have better control locally over the laws that govern us.”
Douglas County sued the state over laws limiting cooperation with ICE. A Denver judge dismissed that suit, but the county is appealing that decision.
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