The Small Business Administration confirmed it is moving its office out of Denver and five other “sanctuary cities.”  

SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler disclosed that decision in February, though she didn’t specifically mention Denver or any other city in her memo.

On Thursday, Loeffler said the SBA will relocate its regional offices out of municipalities that do “not comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” The Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle offices will move to “less costly, more accessible locations that better serve the small business community and comply with federal immigration law.”

“Today, I am pleased to announce that this agency will cut off access to loans for illegal aliens and relocate our regional offices out of sanctuary cities that reward criminal behavior,” she said. “We will return our focus to empowering legal, eligible business owners across the United States — in partnership with the municipalities who share this Administration’s commitment to secure borders and safe communities.”

This week, Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Crank said he wants the SBA to move its Denver office to Colorado Springs.

Crank, who represents Colorado Springs and El Paso County, extended the invitation in a letter to Loeffler.

“Sanctuary state and city policies have consequences, and moving the SBA out of Denver is a prime example,” Crank said in a statement. “It is important that SBA offices are located not in major cities-dominated by large corporations and run-away governments — but in locations where safety is prioritized, and innovation propels the local economy.”

Crank had questioned Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in a tense exchange during a House committee hearing Wednesday that focused on the city’s policies related to federal immigration enforcement.

Johnston denies Denver is a “sanctuary city.” Still, Crank and other Colorado Republicans say there’s no other way to describe the city’s refusal to cooperate fully with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other officials seeking to enforce federal immigration law.

In his letter to Loeffler, Crank said Denver was a prime example of the cities whose policies the Trump administration was targeting.

“These cities, like Denver, are more interested in appeasing far-left radicals than protecting their constituents and refuse to cooperate with reasonable federal immigration policies,” Crank wrote. “It would be irrational for the federal government to continue forcing public servants to come to work in cities that are uninterested in keeping them safe.”

Crank added that Colorado Springs, the state’s second-largest city, was a “short move” from Denver, so relocating SBA operations there would minimize service lapses or staffing turnover. With its large military presence, the location would also give the agency a chance to recruit employees from the area’s large pool of military spouses, Crank added, in line with a Trump administration priority to hire military spouses.

A national group that works with small business urged Loeffler to reconsider the decision.

“Closing the Denver office of the SBA would likely make it more difficult for Denver’s robust entrepreneurial community to access valuable resources,” said Hunter Nelson, the Colorado director for Small Business Majority. “It’s also not clear why a city’s policies toward immigrants would disqualify it from serving small businesses well.”

The Small Business Administration operates regional offices in 56 states, territories and the District of Columbia, with most states — including Colorado — having a single office but a handful, including California and Texas, home to several.

Ernest Luning and Luige del Puerto contributed to this article.