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Rep. Dave Williams talks to the White House about Colorado’s sanctuary cities

By JOEY BUNCH 03/08/2018 | updated 7 years ago

Rep. Dave Williams led a delegation of Colorado Republican lawmakers to the White House Thursday to talk about so-called sanctuary cities and what to do about them.

Williams, a freshman lawmaker from Colorado Springs, has elevated the welcoming treatment Denver, Aurora and Boulder have extended to undocumented immigrants into the national positions favored by President Trump.

He wrote to Trump last year urging his administration to step in as the city of Denver said it wouldn’t help with any roundups the administration might try.

Trump wanted to hear from lawmakers across the country, since the administration is in a heated legal battle over such local policies in California. Williams was allowed to bring friends – at their own expense – to the meeting Thursday with the White House Domestic Policy Council. He was joined by Republican Reps. Kevin Van Winkle of Highlands Ranch, Tim Leonard of Evergreen and Steve Humphrey of Severance.

Colorado Politics first told you about the invitation on Tuesday.

Williams told the Associated Press in advance of the White House confab that he’s hopeful U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions cracks down on cities that won’t get involved in immigration enforcement. Colorado lawmakers who disagree point out that the U.S. Constitution forbids local cops from enforcing federal laws. Williams has argued that it’s not enough of a justification to provide safe harbor for undocumented residents violating immigration laws, or putting the public at risk when violent criminals are released before federal agents can pick up and deport them.

Williams’ bill last year would have allowed local government officials to face civil or criminal penalties if public policies

He didn’t immediately respond to a message from Colorado Politics Thursday afternoon.

“Cities like Denver and states like California are allowing criminal aliens to run loose, to kill, murder, maim or hurt our fellow Americans,” Williams told Denver-based AP reporter James Anderson in advance of the meeting.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against the state of California Tuesday “to save lives and keep dangerous criminal aliens off our streets,” according to the White House.

Trump threatened to withhold $1 million federal grants to police programs in California over sanctuary cities, but in a separate ruling Tuesday a federal judge rejected the state’s request for a preliminary injunction in the case, though he suggested the Trump administration could be overreaching by withholding money.

“The injury threatened is not irreparable,” wrote Judge William Orrick of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. “The amount of money at stake is small compared to the State’s budget. Payment is delayed, for the moment. The DOJ appears to be using itsregular administrative process to decide whether it will follow its initial inclinations.”

Rep. Dave Williams, R-Colorado Springs, speaks about his sanctuary city bill during the 2017 legislative session.
JOEY BUNCH

Reporter

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