Gov. Jared Polis said he welcomes federal agents in Colorado, which has attracted tens of thousands of immigrants who illegally crossed the southern border, to detain and deport “dangerous criminals.” Still, he insisted that the state would not support plans to send people who hadn’t broken any other laws back to their home countries.

Polis, who delivered his annual State of the State address on Thursday, added he hopes Congress will finally approve a legal pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers. ” Dreamers are immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and would benefit from federal legislation called the DREAM Act. The measure seeks to allow them to remain in the U.S. if they meet specific requirements lawfully.

The governor took a more nuanced position than Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who kicked off a firestorm last month after vowing to defy any mass deportation campaign in his city and saying he is mulling over “options” to protect the immigrants unlawfully staying in America.

In an interview with Denver Gazette news partner 9News, Johnston said he would protest himself to resist President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans and is “not afraid” of jail time, though he added he is also “not seeking it.” In an interview with Denverite, Johnston had drawn parallels to Tiananmen Square, suggesting residents would rise up, alongside the Denver police, to resist a mass deportation campaign. The mayor has since walked those statements back.

“In Colorado, we have zero tolerance for those who commit violent crimes whether they are American citizens or not,” Polis said in his state address. “I hope that President-elect Trump and Congress work together quickly to secure the border, stop human trafficking, and stop the illegal flow of guns and drugs, and we welcome more federal help to detain and deport dangerous criminals.”

He added, “I also hope that Congress finally provides legal pathways to citizenship for Dreamers and those who seek to come out of the shadows to help make Colorado greater.”

Polis said Colorado will not support efforts to “deport American citizens, target those on pending legal status, or break up families, creating orphans of American children whose parents are alive and who came to this country to build a better life for their families.”

It’s unclear what the governor means by “deporting American citizens.”

Polis also suggested that businesses would be handicapped by a mass deportation program that could sweep their workers.

“We will support businesses who follow state laws to ensure that they can continue to retain their employees who are doing work critical to our economy – whether in agriculture, construction, service, or industry. This is both the moral thing to do, and it is key to our economic success,” Polis said.

To illustrate his point, the governor reserved a seat for “Sofia,” a DACA recipient who is a nurse who has been living in Colorado for more than 20 years. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is a program by then-President Barack Obama that allows immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children to lawfully remain in the U.S.

“Please take a look at the gallery. You will notice an empty seat. We are not joined by Sofia today because of the grim reality that Sofia and many other immigrants who enrich our communities and strengthen our economy are living in fear,” Polis said. “Those who are following our laws and contributing to our economy deserve the opportunity to live the American dream and make Colorado an even more amazing place.”

Colorado found itself at the center of the illegal immigration debate even before the activities of a Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua came to light. TDA, which originated in the prisons of Venezuela, is known for targeting immigrants and is believed to be behind a spree of kidnappings, extortion and other crimes tied to immigrants from South and Central America.

Local authorities now concede that the gang infiltrated three apartment complexes in Aurora. More recently, the Aurora police arrested several men alleged to have invaded an apartment unit and kidnapped and tortured a couple.

Polis, along with other officials, has downplayed the extent of the gang’s tentacles in metro Denver.

During his campaign for the presidency, Trump identified Colorado as the launching pad for what he dubbed “Operation Aurora,” the start of what he promised to be the largest mass deportation in American history.

What “Operation Aurora” and mass deportations would look like remains to be seen, as the Trump administration faces potential legal hurdles—the ACLU and other groups have been preparing for protracted court battles in anticipation of a second Trump presidency—and logistical ones, particularly since such a campaign would need the cooperation of local governments to be effective.

The latter is unlikely in Colorado, a “sanctuary” state. No legal definition of a “sanctuary” city or state exists, but broadly speaking, it refers to a community that expressly refuses to cooperate with federal authorities on enforcing immigration laws.

In 2019, Colorado adopted a law whose provisions fall within the broad outlines of what constitutes a “sanctuary” state. Several Colorado counties have sued the state over the law.

In addition, Colorado’s most populous city — Denver — is also a “sanctuary” city. Johnston, the mayor, recently said he’s preparing the city for “all eventualities,” including losing federal funds, over his objections to Trump’s plans to conduct the largest-ever mass deportation in American history.

Critics have argued that the mass deportation plan would be costly. At the same time, supporters maintained that it’s not only feasible but necessary, particularly because Trump vowed to fight illegal immigration, a top issue for American voters, during his campaign. Supporters also argued that illegal immigration enforcement in America’s interior cities, along with strict border controls, would serve as a deterrent, much as Denver’s offer of free housing and transportation drew tens of thousands of immigrants to the city over two years.

Since December 2022, roughly 43,000 immigrants — mainly from South and Central America who crossed the southern border illegally — have come to Denver. Many of them are from Venezuela, which has been in the throes of economic and political chaos since President Nicolás Maduro assumed power.

Early in the crisis, Denver officials decided city taxpayers would assume the cost of temporary housing and feeding the immigrants. The city’s costs have so far exceeded $75 million. A new study by the Common Sense Institute, a research outfit in Greenwood Village, estimated that the nearly 43,000 immigrants who have come to Denver over the past two years have cost $356 million. That money includes hospital and education expenses.

Originally, local officials believed Denver’s draw was its proximity to Mexico and its status as a “sanctuary city.” But Texas officials in El Paso believe that the city’s offer of shelter and onward travel—while well intended—actually made Denver a magnet for immigrants.

Reporters Nico Brambila and Deborah Grigsby Smith contributed to this article.