Colorado Files Lawsuit To Keep Public Safety Grants
DENVER (CBS4)- The State of Colorado has filed a lawsuit in federal court to keep federal funding that benefits state and local law enforcement. Gov. Jared Polis joined Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser to comment on the lawsuit on Tuesday morning.
The law enforcement agencies receive $2.7 million public safety funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Trump administration is withholding the money, saying that Colorado can't have it unless the state follows the administration's rules on immigration.
"Two legal principles at the heart of this case. First, Congress makes the laws. The Executive Branch does not have the authority to make law. In this case, these conditions are not coming from Congress. They are unlawful and being unopposed, and this is the second principle, in violation of the 10th Amendment," said Weiser. "The 10th Amendment says the federal government cannot coerce, cannot commandeer state and local law enforcement. That's exactly what's at issue here, holding hostage grants like mentoring at-risk youth, or police radios."
According to Polis, the lawsuit is an effort to combat the Trump administration's unlawful attempt to withhold public safety funding from Colorado.
