Denver Mayor Confirms Trump’s Deportations Will Go Ahead

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston addresses the city’s stance on collaborating with ICE for violent offenders, sparking debate on immigration policies.

At a Glance

  • Denver will notify ICE when releasing violent criminals or those with serious criminal backgrounds
  • The city does not proactively inquire about immigration status for non-violent offenses
  • Johnston may reconsider policies if ICE requests increase significantly under the new administration
  • Denver maintains its commitment to cooperate with ICE on active warrant cases

Denver’s Approach to ICE Cooperation

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has outlined the city’s approach to working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), focusing primarily on cases involving violent offenders. In a recent interview, Johnston clarified the city’s stance, promising a balanced approach that prioritizes public safety while considering the complexities of immigration issues.

According to Johnston, Denver will maintain its longstanding practice of honoring ICE requests that focus on violent criminals.

“We will partner on violent criminals, as we have always done. In the past, over the last administration, we will do it again. We don’t want criminals of any background on our streets, and that’s been clear for us consistently,” Johnston said.

The Mayor’s statements come at a time of heightened national attention on immigration policies. With the potential for increased ICE enforcement operations under the new administration, cities like Denver are navigating the delicate balance between cooperating with federal authorities and protecting the rights of their residents.

“So, right now, what we do is we don’t proactively ask someone’s status when they’re arrested, say, for drunk driving, nor do we proactively report to ICE. But if ICE reaches out to us and says, we know you have someone in your custody who is a criminal, what we will do is partner with them and notify them when we’re releasing them so they can pick them up,” Mike Johnston said.

This approach aligns with Denver’s goal of maintaining public safety without overly aggressive immigration enforcement. Johnston emphasized that the city will notify ICE when releasing individuals identified as violent criminals or those with serious criminal backgrounds, allowing federal authorities to take appropriate action.

Potential Policy Reevaluation

While Denver currently maintains its cooperative stance with ICE on specific cases, Johnston has indicated a willingness to reassess this position if circumstances change significantly.

“If we see a dramatic expansion in the number of requests that come from this administration, versus the last, then we could re-evaluate. But right now, we honor those requests that come in because those requests almost always focus on violent criminals,” Johnston explained.

Curiously, then, it means there is a limit to his cooperation. And the Governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker, seems to agree.

“Anybody that’s here in this country legally, I’m obligated to protect them just as I would anybody else. The third group is people who are undocumented, and let me be clear up front, violent criminals who are undocumented and convicted of violent crime should be deported. I do not want them in my state and I do not think they should be in the United States. But there are an awful lot of people who’ve lived here, and I think that we run into them every day, who have lived here for decades who are undocumented for a variety of reasons. They’re here legally and they’re holding down jobs, and they’re paying taxes that they don’t get any benefit from, and I believe it is my obligation to protect them too.”

The deportations are happening, then – but Trump has a lot of work to do to ensure that all illegals are removed.