Douglas County isn't backing down in its battle against immigration laws it perceives as obstructive. Following a Denver District judge's dismissal of its lawsuit, the County has filed a Notice of Appeal to challenge two state laws it argues are thwarting local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The lawsuit, initiated in April 2024, represents a coalition including El Paso, Elbert, Garfield, Mesa, and Rio Blanco counties, collectively accounting for roughly a quarter of Colorado's population, as reported by Douglas County.
At the crux of the discontent are specific Colorado statutes: R.S. 24-76.6-102, which prohibits local law enforcement from arresting or detaining individuals solely for civil immigration enforcement, and R.S. 24-76.7-103, which bans intergovernmental agreements on immigration enforcement; as well as the stipulation in R.S. 24-76.6-103 that requires probation staff to withhold information about illegal immigrants from the federal government. The state, along with Gov. Jared Polis, successfully moved to dismiss the case on December 16, 2024, arguing that the County had not suffered an injury and, therefore, lacked standing, a contention Douglas County rejects.
Commissioner and Board Chair Abe Laydon articulated the board's standpoint, asserting, "We want to be very, very clear. We support legal immigration. We don’t support illegal immigration," and suggesting that these laws constrain Douglas County's ability to cooperate with ICE, posing a threat to community safety. "There are questions about whether Colorado is a sanctuary state. There are no questions here. Douglas County is not a sanctuary county," Commissioner George Teal added, underscoring their eagerness to ally with the federal government on immigration matters to protect the local population, according to Douglas County.
This legal confrontation is a continuation of various steps the Board has prefaced since 2023 toward what it regards as effective immigration reform. These measures include an emergency ordinance to regulate the movement of commercial vehicles transporting passengers in unincorporated Douglas County, and an appeal to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston to repeal sanctuary laws. The County's initiatives have consistently highlighted its stance against being recognized as a sanctuary jurisdiction, a term often used to describe areas that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, as detailed by Douglas County.
