Denver Passes Immigrant Protections Amid White House Threats
DENVER (AP/CBS4) — Denver's City Council has approved an ordinance aimed at protecting immigrants amid White House threats to revoke federal money from so-called sanctuary cities — but the effort falls short of legal challenges to those threats by Chicago, San Francisco and other cities.
Denver's ordinance, which passed Monday on a 10-0 vote, largely sets into law what is current practice. It's designed to reassure the city's immigrants while not formally declaring Colorado's capital a sanctuary city.
President Donald Trump has made it a top priority to revoke federal dollars from so-called sanctuary cities, broadly defined as places that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Trump says he believes such cities and counties are providing a haven for criminal activity.
Chicago has filed a federal lawsuit targeting new conditions for the federal aid. Lawsuits over constitutional concerns also have been filed in San Francisco, Seattle and other cities.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a statement following the city's adoption of the resolution that included the following:
"By passing this irresponsible ordinance, the City of Denver's leadership has codified a dangerous policy that deliberately obstructs our country's lawful immigration system, protects serious criminal alien offenders, and undermines public safety."
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
