Colorado
A high-level overview of immigration enforcement activity, school protection policies, and resources for families and educators in Colorado.
Overview
State context
Colorado has taken significant steps to limit immigration enforcement cooperation. HB 19-1124 limits local government cooperation with civil immigration detainers. Denver has a long-standing sanctuary city policy. Denver Public Schools adopted a formal policy in 2017 limiting staff cooperation with immigration enforcement and requiring a judicial warrant before access is granted.
ICE activity
ICE is active along Colorado's Front Range, particularly in the Denver metro area and in agricultural communities on the Eastern Plains. Operations have targeted both urban neighborhoods and rural areas with meatpacking and agricultural workforces.
School policies
Denver Public Schools' policy is among the most specific in the Mountain West: staff are required to contact district legal counsel before responding to immigration enforcement requests, and ICE must present a valid judicial warrant to enter non-public school areas. Several other Front Range districts have adopted similar language.
Notes for advocates
Colorado's immigrant advocacy community is well-organized, particularly in Denver. The state has a growing number of DACA recipients and a significant mixed-status family population. El Paso County (Colorado Springs) has been more cooperative with ICE than the Denver metro area.
Is your district protected?
Find out whether your school district has a warrant-based policy in place, and what you can do if it doesn't.