Douglas County Commissioners say they will appeal a district judge’s dismissal of their lawsuit challenging state statutes forbidding local government from cooperating with federal immigration officers commonly known as sanctuary laws.
The case hit the wall on Tuesday in a Denver District Court, the same day that 16 illegal migrants were taken into custody for an Aurora home invasion and the hours-long torture and robbery of the occupants, who were also illegal migrants.
The next stop for the Douglas County case is a state appeals court. If denied there it could advance to the state’s Supreme Court.
In light of the fact Colorado’s judiciary is loaded with appointments from a long line of Democrat governors, it doesn’t seem likely the case can make any headway in a state court.
The commissioners say they are pursing the matter so they can legally cooperate with the federal government on matters of public safety and immigration.
“We are required by these state laws to conceal the identity of those who committed a crime and are here in our country illegally,” said Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle. “We cannot stand idly by, barred by the state from cooperating with federal agencies when public safety is at risk.”
One of the state laws passed by the Democrat-controlled legislature last year prohibits any local government from entering an intergovernmental agreement with the feds for immigration enforcement.
The second law was passed in 2019 and bans localities from cooperating with the federal government in immigration enforcement and prohibits the sharing of judicial information with federal officials.
The laws give sanctuary to criminals of all nationalities who are living in this country illegally by giving them protection from federal immigration law enforcement.