Colorado Politics

Colorado lawmakers contemplate avenue for people to sue ICE agents

Colorado legislators are considering a proposal to allow a “cause of action” by individuals injured in an immigration enforcement action.

Lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear the proposal this afternoon. The bill would also allow for “legal or equitable relief or any other appropriate relief” if an agent “violates” the U.S. Constitution while participating in immigration enforcement action.

The proposal does not explicitly identify the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the U.S. Border Patrol, though it expressly reference enforcing federal immigration laws.

The measure comes amid speculation that Colorado could be next on the Trump administration’s target, given the tension between the White House and the state, which has adopted “sanctuary” policies that bar cooperation between federal agents and local officers on immigration matters.

So far, Colorado has not seen the kind of enforcement activity in other Democrat-led cities, including Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Already, some Democrats have begun to position the state and jurisdictions they dominate in a more confrontational stance. The attorney general, for example, wants residents to report alleged misconduct by federal agents via an online tool. The city of Denver is seeking to prohibit the wearing of face masks in response to federal immigration operations.


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