When you’re fed up, you can either fume about it, or fight back.

This week, two counties chose to stand and fight against illegal immigration “sanctuary” laws backfiring in Denver, wreaking widespread havoc. Local leaders want to have the courts unlock handcuffs placed on Colorado counties and municipalities by state laws that prohibit local government from cooperating with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws. 

This was prudent, powerful — and proactive.

Leaders in Douglas and El Paso counties looked north to see the disaster that fell on Denver as illegal immigrants took seriously progressive pleas of “y’all come.” 

They did come. 

Thanks to Open Borders Biden, an estimated 80,000 arrived, dropped off by the busload in Colorado’s capital city, straining human services, health care and schools — and draining the municipal budget.  

In fact, despite claims Denver would be a temporary stop, about half of the migrants have found the Colorado climate and surroundings quite congenial and plan to stay. 

To be fair, these are policies promoted by elected leaders who progressives have elected for many years. Then-Denver Mayor Michael Hancock eagerly and publicly embraced the label “sanctuary city.” Denver voters subsequently elected Mike Johnston who gave no indication he had a contrary view, despite now complaining to Washington sanctuary cities have costly consequences. Likewise, the Democrat-dominated legislature passed, and Gov. Jared Polis signed, bills that made Colorado a sanctuary state whether the governor likes the moniker or not. 

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The burdens, and dangers, of those very state laws preventing local governments from working with the feds to protect their own communities is what drew the lawsuit. 

Though liberal voters can embrace sanctuary status, it is neither right nor appropriate to impose these policies on citizens in other cities and counties who have contrary views and who find the policies dangerous and irresponsible. 

Local governments are closer to the people and more in tune, often neighborhood by neighborhood, with what residents want and need. They have just as much right as a state legislator or a governor to use their energy and creativity to fight for their residents and taxpayers.   

Freedom means you can roll out, or roll up, the illegal immigration welcome mat.

And that’s the freedom we are seeing conservative counties exercise.   

Recognizing the wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round, Douglas and El Paso leaders knew it’s only a matter of time before a caravan of motorcoaches arrived in Lone Tree, Castle Rock and Colorado Springs to share Denver’s sanctuary burden.    

Smart work by Douglas County’s commissioners — and lawyers — resulted in a big stop sign. The county enacted a statute prohibiting unloading of commercial passengers in unplanned locations, with fines that could surpass $50,000 per busload.  

That’s a hefty deterrent and a great first step  followed by the two-county lawsuit expected to be joined by other counties. Let’s hope they score a solid victory. 

Bucking conventional wisdom isn’t new in DougCo. When the Tri-County Health Department went berserk with heavy-handed COVID mandates residents and businesses loathed, county leaders voted with their feet and stood up their own health department, which is performing well and reflecting local, not liberal, values.

They have also pushed back hard on the mismanagement of RTD’s light-rail service which provides de facto roving homeless shelters. The commissioners, and the county sheriff, reminded RTD the purpose of the trains is not to provide addicts comfortable warm seats for hours to snore off the morning after the night before, or aggressively harass sober commuters. 

The lesson is local leaders are not lesser beings who must go with the flow, kowtowing to the liberal orthodoxy. They can reject asinine policies crafted by liberals whose GPS apps have only one command — turn left.   

Standing up, speaking out and taking action aren’t just complaints of conservative curmudgeons. It’s the duty of elected officials whose job it is to provide safe communities, promoting the values and quality of life their voters and taxpayers demand. 

And they should be encouraged and inspired. That was the message of a recent study published by Advance Colorado that detailed numerous ways in which local government across the state is tackling tough issues such as homelessness, crime, and mental health through effective, wise and creative policies.     

When politics more and more resembles a juvenile pie fight, Colorado local leaders are fighting to get things done for their communities. 

Bravo.

Sean Duffy, a former deputy chief of staff to Gov. Bill Owens, is a communications and media relations strategist and ghostwriter based in the Denver area.