DOJ sues Colorado and Denver for alleged interference in immigration enforcement

The Department of Justice sued the state of Colorado and the city of Denver for allegedly interfering with federal immigration enforcement.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Colorado District Court, accuses the state and its most populous city of implementing “sanctuary laws” in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution.

“The United States has well-established, preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters,” the lawsuit reads.

Sanctuary cities refer to areas that seek to protect migrants without legal status and that have limited cooperation with federal officials to enforce immigration laws.

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforces federal immigration laws across the country but solicits support from state and local officials, particularly for large-scale deportations. The agency also asks police departments and sheriff’s offices to flag migrants it wants to deport and hold them until federal agents can take custody.

The Department of Justice has filed similar lawsuits challenging “sanctuary policies” in Rochester, New York, and Chicago.

Attorneys for the department argue Colorado’s “sanctuary policies” allowed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) to seize control of an apartment complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora.

Local officials have described President Donald Trump’s claims that the gang had taken over large areas of the city as exaggerated, but admitted that the apartment complex was terrorized, including by people with links to TdA.

The lawsuit in Colorado lists the defendants as Gov. Jared Polis, the state Legislature, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.

Polis’ office said Colorado is not a sanctuary state and regularly works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

“If the courts say that any Colorado law is not valid then we will follow the ruling,” spokesperson Conor Cahill told The Associated Press. “We are not going to comment on the merits of the lawsuit.”

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Republicans in Congress have attempted to pressure officials in Democratic-led cities to cooperate with the Trump administration’s immigration policies, which include promises of mass deportations. 

The GOP lawmakers summoned the mayors of Denver, Boston, New York City and Chicago to testify last month before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. However, the mayors pushed back and defended their cities as welcoming places and not lawless danger zones. The mayors also called on Congress to pass immigration reform.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.