4 Counties Join Lawsuit Saying Colorado Immigration Laws Violate State, Federal Rules

Douglas County officials filed an amended complaint that included Elbert, Garfield, Mesa and Rio Blanco counties on Monday, another step in Douglas County’s challenge to two Colorado immigration laws.

Douglas and El Paso counties filed the lawsuit in mid-April to try and force the state of Colorado to allow sheriff’s deputies to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. According to Douglas County, the six counties in the lawsuit represent 25% of the state’s population.

The counties are arguing that the state and Gov. Jared Polis have instated “unconstitutional immigration laws.”

{snip} However, the lawsuit is fighting two state laws:

• House Bill 19-1124, “Protect Colorado Residents From Federal Government Overreach,” according to the text, allows law enforcement officers or employees to cooperate or assist federal immigration authorities in the execution of a federal warrant, but prohibits law enforcement from arresting or detaining individuals based solely on a civil immigration detainer
  • The measure also prohibits probation officers from providing an individual’s personal information to federal immigration authorities
  • The measure also ensures that individuals who are to be interviewed via telephone or video with a federal immigration authority are informed of their rights
• House Bill 23-1100, “Restrict Government Involvement in Immigration Detention,” prohibits employees of state or local government agencies from entering into intergovernmental agreements allowing for law enforcement to rent bed space to ICE

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Pro-migrant groups have called the lawsuit a “dangerous step.”

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Douglas County has been active in its attempts to keep migrants out of its borders, starting in October with a resolution affirming that the county is not a sanctuary jurisdiction (Denver has declared itself such), and continuing with other measures {snip}

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