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Published on January 22, 2025
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston Unveils Four-Point Plan in Response to Trump's Deportation PolicySource: City and County of Denver

In a move that’s been characterized as both pragmatic and humane, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has outlined a four-point plan in response to the potential federal immigration enforcement measures that could come with President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan. The plan firmly plants Denver as a city striving to balance public safety with its welcoming principles, according to the City and County of Denver.

Mayor Johnston's approach seeks to shield Denver's immigrant community from indiscriminate enforcement actions that might ensnare individuals who’ve built lives in the United States over many years. According to a report in the Denver Post, Johnston is poised to contend with an immigration policy that targets, as advisor Stephen Miller suggests, a broad swath of the immigrant population for so-called "immigration crimes."

Denver, respecting existing cooperation agreements, will continue to inform ICE when individuals wanted for deportation are in custody, including the specifics of their release dates and times. Yet, in clear defiance to the proposed federal policy, Johnston has decreed that Denver police will not hold people on behalf of ICE nor engage in non-criminal immigration enforcement.

Johnston’s plan also includes protection for residents at "sensitive locations" like schools, hospitals, and churches, to prevent apprehensions that could rip apart the social fabric of these communities. Individuals with any level of legal recognition in the U.S., such as DACA recipients or those with expired visas, will receive legal support should ICE attempt detentions, Johnston told the board. Additionally, the city plans to devise a childcare network to support children whose parents may be detained due to immigration enforcement.

Moreover, the mayor is not shying away from the legal arena. "We have allies who would do the legal work on this. I think we are going to be plaintiffs. We are not planning to spend a great deal of Denver taxpayer dollars on it, but we are going to make sure to raise Denver voices to say we think it’s wrong," Johnston told the board, as per City and County of Denver. This stance indicates the city’s willingness to challenge potential federal immigration directives in court.

While Denver expresses disapproval of deporting non-violent individuals who've made the city their home, the plan does not contest the removal of violent offenders without legal status. The overarching aim is to mitigate the human toll of sweeping immigration policies that have instilled fear in communities, echoing a national sentiment of resistance among various cities against federal crackdowns on immigrants.