Federal, state and local officials are hiring additional staff, preparing legal arguments and preparing to fight to protect Colorado’s immigrant communities as President-elect Donald Trump appoints hardliners to support his tough talk on mass expulsions.

“We’re looking at every avenue possible for them to attack our community, so I don’t think we should rule anything out at this point,” said Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, who represents Aurora in Congress. “We will use all of our tools and all of our available power to protect families and protect those in our community who need our protection.”

In 2019state Attorney General Phil Weiser sued the Trump administration over its punitive decision to strip Colorado of federal law enforcement funding because Colorado was considered by the then administration as a “sanctuary state”.

In 2020, a federal judge sided with the state and forced the federal government to hand over the money, which was used to fund police equipment at various state agencies. In his ruling, the judge said there was no legal reason for the federal government to place restrictions on existing subsidies.

In an interview, Weiser said he expects these kinds of actions to happen again.

“The best sign of what we might face is, I believe, what we have faced before. Last time, their agendas were thwarted because the courts upheld the rule of law. We still have checks and balances and we’re going to use them,” Weiser said. “We have faced challenges like this before. It’s not the first time. We will be ready.

Between the end of 2022 and 2024, more than 40,000 immigrants arrived in Colorado – mostly Americans from Central and South America who crossed the border with Mexico and were then sent north from border states by the Republican governors. State and Denver officials, along with many nonprofits, weathered the crisis for months, helping new arrivals with clothing, shelter, food and job placements.

In this crush, Governor Jared Polis and Denver Mayors Michael Hancock and Mike Johnston created offices to manage logistics. Some now fear that the new presidential administration will threaten the state with handing over data collected on families who received aid.

Weiser said he would oppose it.

“One of the fundamental principles is that we live in a rule of law, no matter who you are and what party you support, you should be treated fairly like everyone else and if we started to see arbitrary actions based on who it is “It is, it is a major threat to the American system,” he said. “And I would take that seriously.”

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News

State officials from Polis’ Office of New Americans wrote in a 2024 report before the election that Colorado’s commitment to helping newcomers would not change based on policy.

“One thing that will not change is Colorado’s commitment to integrating new Americans,” he said.

In an interview with Colorado Matters, Polis said he would welcome federal help in taking down criminals and gang members — but beyond that, the governor says there will be a fight.

“Obviously the fear is that he’s talking about going after law-abiding Coloradans who have lived here for 20, 30 years, who work as construction workers, in agriculture or in the hospitality industry.” , Polis said. “And obviously our economy and society would be devastated if someone came and forcibly removed our neighbors from us. »

During his election campaign earlier this year, Trump called Aurora a “war zone” because of its Venezuelan immigrants – a handful of whom have been arrested and linked to gang activity. He pledged to lead “Operation Aurora” to remove any gang-linked undocumented immigrants across the country. But how the administration would determine the existence of a gang connection remains an open question.

Trump’s choice for border czar, Tom Homan, advocated a family separation policy at the border and a “remain in Mexico” policy, meaning people seeking asylum in the United States would have to wait in Mexico until their asylum applications are processed. decided.

It is not yet clear what steps, if any, Trump will take to fulfill his campaign promises of mass deportations. Its record of honoring its commitments is uneven. There is no complete wall on the border, for example, and Mexico certainly did not pay for it. 52 miles of new main border wall which was completed during his first term.

Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

But if he sought to carry out a massive raid in Colorado, it seems likely that he would need help from local and state authorities – at least for the detention centers – and the law State prohibits law enforcement officials from working with immigration authorities. In the past, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain has said he does not believe in the importance of immigration control, only policing.

Since Trump’s election, he and Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman have refused to give media interviews about how they would handle potential federal requests for law enforcement assistance in immigration.

When asked about a potential “Operation Aurora” and how it would work with Aurora law enforcement, an Aurora police spokesperson said, “Chief Chamberlain is not interested in participating to an interview on this subject at the moment. »

The city provided a statement saying it will “work with our federal partners and follow federal laws and guidelines as they apply to our community.”

Omar Montgomery, who heads the Aurora NAACP and also works at the city’s chamber of commerce, said he worries about potential labor problems in the event of a “roundup” or broad crackdown.

“We have to be smart,” he said. “I hope our city council sees the beauty in our diversity and doesn’t jump on the bandwagon to terrorize communities. There is a way to remove criminals from our community. But let’s not terrorize entire communities. People are just trying to live a good life and enjoy the city of Aurora.”

US Senator Michael Bennet’s office said it has already seen an increase in calls for help on immigration matters – including from people concerned about family breakdown and deportations.

An office spokeswoman said they plan to hire additional people to help manage the volume of calls and case numbers and to prepare for what lies ahead.

“I’ve tried to give as many assurances as I can at this point,” said Crow, who won his congressional seat during Trump’s first term. “We will do everything in our power to protect families and children from members of our community against an attack on Colorado values ​​and our economy.”