Red Colorado Counties Sue to Help ICE Arrest, Deport Illegal Immigrants

‘It is our intent to bring suit specifically to address the illegal immigration crisis now present in this country,’ one of the plaintiffs said.

Illegal immigrants rest at a makeshift shelter, in Denver on Jan. 6, 2023. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a major shift on April 10, 2024, in the city's response to the migrant crisis, extending support to six months but with only 1,000 spaces. Thomas Peipert/AP Photo

Two conservative Colorado counties—Douglas and El Paso—have sued the state of Colorado and its Democrat governor over laws that prevent local law enforcement from working with federal agents to arrest and deport illegal immigrants.

“The nation is facing an immigration crisis,” commissioners and sheriffs from Douglas and El Paso wrote in their complaint, which was filed on April 15 at the Denver County District Court.