Colorado is on the verge of coming off the rails into an illegal immigration ditch.

In response to Gov. Jared Polis’ farcical denial Colorado is a “sanctuary from the law” state for illegal immigrants, I had publicly asked what more could a state do to do earn that odious title. Our extremist, Democrat-dominated legislature recently provided two more examples to erase any doubt about Colorado’s true and intended status.

Last week, I testified on behalf of SB 25-047, a common sense bill to reverse some of the illegal immigrant-friendly laws signed by Polis during the past few years that have caused damage to Colorado communities. The bill, sponsored by public safety-minded legislators from the 23rd Judicial District — Sen. Mark Baisley and Reps. Max Brooks and Chris Richardson — merely permitted, not mandated, but permitted a law enforcement officer “who had probable cause to believe that an arrestee for a criminal offense is not legally present in the United States” to report that criminal to ICE. In typical “what immigration crisis?” fashion, the Dems sent the bill to the kill committee.

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Testifying in support of the bill were numerous local officials and law enforcement executives from across the state. Each attested to the effect illegal immigrant criminals have on their communities, along with specific and disturbing anecdotes. Despite crystal-clear bill language, those testifying in opposition to the bill railed against it as “show your papers” legislation designed to intimidate law-abiding (other than violating federal law) illegal immigrants and scaring them into not calling law enforcement for help out of fear they may be deported. Some suggested motivations of racism by the bill sponsors and supporters. They decried separating families, presumably from their crime-committing family member — which, no reasonable person would prioritize keeping in our community. Nonetheless, the Democrats delivered their guaranteed “no” votes and killed the bill. That is not even the tip of the iceberg.

Enter self-described “Senadora” Julie “No Borders” Gonzales.

Gonzales — whose legislative career is marked by persistent efforts to protect illegal aliens from our nation’s and state’s laws — is a prime sponsor of a draft bill to further erase any legal distinction between an American citizen and the illegal aliens who wantonly flout our immigration laws. The bill is fairly called the Criminal Illegal Alien Protection Act. It is the most extreme bill of its kind in the history of our state.

It attacks “local control,” which for extreme progressives/liberals applies only to efforts to erode our Second Amendment rights. Gonzales’ bill expands the state’s recent efforts to stand between law violators and law enforcers to all “local governments,” including municipalities, counties and special districts — every form of government below the federal level.

This loco legislation also makes it illegal for every member of the legal profession — including our judges, all attorneys of any kind, law school interns (no joke), and paralegals — from notifying “federal immigration enforcement authorities about a person….” About a person? The penalties for notifying federal ICE officials about a criminal illegal alien — even if they are a convicted rapist or murderer — include potentially losing a license to practice law, which would result in the loss of employment and legal careers for judges, prosecutors — anyone with a law license — all to protect domestic abusers, drunk drivers, drug dealers, burglars and worse from the “horrors” of immigration law enforcement.

Gonzales’ bill further mandates jails immediately release illegal immigrants given personal recognizance (PR) bonds (see Denver), so ICE does not have one extra second to detain them for immigration law enforcement purposes.

Gonzales’ draft makes it easier for illegals who have already been convicted to undo their convictions — and thus avoid deportation — if they claim they had no idea committing crimes like acts of domestic violence, DUIs, theft and others could lead them to be sent out of the U.S. Again, Gonzales’ bill seeks to protect only criminals.

The bill will pass despite the hidden high price tag for Coloradans. Numerous pieces of legitimate pro-public safety legislation have already been killed this session on the fiscal altar of “we just cannot afford it.” Gonzales’ bill — if it becomes law — would cost our state unmeasured millions of dollars.

The fiscal note attached to this anti-citizen bill will be as fake as all the others. It will not account for jillions of our tax dollars spent on providing services and benefits (and Colorado provides a cornucopia of freebies to illegals) to those whose first act in wanting to be in America was to intentionally break the first American law they could.

This bill is even more — cómo se dice “bat guano crazy”? Current law permits illegal immigrants to get benefits like in-state tuition and a Colorado ID card, but only if they sign an affidavit swearing they have applied — or even simply will apply — to America for permission to stay here lawfully. That’s it. Just say “I promise to do it” and you get citizen-like benefits.

Gonzales’ bill eliminates that requirement.

In the end, Gonzales’ bill does nothing for the vaunted, hard-working, well-meaning illegals who only want to violate our federal immigration laws so they can be protected by all of our other laws afterwards. This bill seeks to protect only one specific class of person: criminal illegal aliens.

For a governor who claims Colorado is far from a sanctuary state, there is only action to take: veto this bill. For a would-be presidential candidate of a country weary of coddling illegal immigrants, the only action to take is the same. Either way, Coloradans must remember — this is for what you voted. Happy?

George Brauchler is the 23rd Judicial District attorney and former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. He has served as an Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute. Follow him on Twitter (X): @GeorgeBrauchler.