Denver Police Department Chief Ron Thomas said Wednesday that his officers would step in if they witnessed any “excessive force” used by federal agents during operations in the city.

“If we see a federal officer who we believe is using excessive force, then I think our expectation is to intervene in that situation,” Thomas said in an interview with The Denver Gazette.

Thomas’ declaration comes after weeks of stepped-up operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Chicago, New York and Minneapolis, part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.

During a stop in Colorado in 2024, then-candidate Donald Trump promised a mass deportation of immigrants illegally staying in the U.S. But while ICE agents have conducted major operations in the metro Denver area, the city has not experienced the surge of federal agents seen in other jurisdictions.

In Minnesota, federal agents have clashed with protesters. Federal agents shot and killed two people — both had ties to Colorado — during enforcement actions in the last few weeks. The Trump administration and Democrats have offered competing narratives about the incidents.

This week, the Trump administration said it is pulling hundreds of agents from Minnesota after securing cooperation from local officials to turn over immigrants illegally staying in the country who are in jail.

Border czar Tom Homan said that kind of cooperation means fewer resources needed to enforce immigration laws.

Enforcement actions in jails have been a point of tension in Colorado and elsewhere in the country.

During a tense exchange in March last year, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio called Mayor Mike Johnston to task for releasing from Denver custody and onto the street — rather than to ICE authorities — an alleged gang member, after which a brief chase ensued that resulted in a minor injury to an agent. The immigrant was ultimately detained.

A video released by Denver authorities showed what happened: The alleged gang member was released onto the streets outside the county jail, and, upon seeing federal authorities, he ran, leaving ICE agents to chase after him.

Trump previously linked his administration’s immigration crackdown to a series of fraud cases involving government programs. Additionally, the White House has withheld or threatened to withhold funding from “sanctuary” jurisdictions.

Broadly speaking, a sanctuary city refers to local policies that limit or prohibit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Both the Colorado government and the city of Denver have adopted laws barring such cooperation, though political leaders insist neither the state nor the municipality is a “sanctuary” jurisdiction.

With tension already high between Colorado and the Trump administration, Thomas hinted at yet another potential response by local officials to stepped-up immigration enforcement.

Thomas said his department will not not work with federal officers in any immigration enforcement activity, though the city, he emphasized, works with them in other areas.

“We do partner with federal law enforcement agencies. We are part of task forces that engage in investigations related to violent crime, human trafficking, drugs, those kinds of things, and we do want to continue those partnerships,” Thomas said. “But when it relates to federal immigration enforcement, we don’t want to take part in that, and so we don’t do that. We don’t provide any assistance in that matter.”

Colorado and immigration enforcement

Colorado has adopted limitations on how closely law enforcement can work with federal agents. Multiple laws passed by the state Senate, and signed by Gov. Jared Polis, have made it illegal for any state or local law enforcement employee to disclose a person’s personal information to federal agents to assist in immigration enforcement.

The limitation does not apply to criminal matters and has already been the subject of litigation.

Last May, Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a lawsuit against a Mesa County Sheriff’s deputy who had uploaded the personal information of a University of Utah student originally from Brazil, but who had been living in the U.S. for over a decade, to a Signal group chat. That drug interdiction communication group included a number of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies focusing on the highways of western Colorado.

The deputy had pulled the student over for a routine traffic stop. ICE agents later stopped and arrested her.

In a statement, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office argued that such communication had been routinely done and pointed to another chat showing Colorado State Patrol troopers “engaging in conduct similar” to what the deputy did to make a point — that Weiser singled out the officer and did not apply the law equally.

Other Denver-area law enforcement agencies have previously collaborated with federal enforcement, at least to some extent.

Aurora, home to an ICE processing center and detention facility, previously said it is willing to collaborate with federal partners, including those working at the facility.

Federal agents also conducted a significant operation in Aurora last February, during which more than 100 members of the Tren de Aragua gang were targeted for arrest.

The gang, which originated in the prisons of Venezuela, had taken over apartment complexes in Colorado’s third-largest city and gained the attention of Trump, who promised to go after the group. The White House this year declared the TdA is a foreign terrorist organization.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has also conducted joint operations with various local agencies, including in Douglas County, as well as in Lakewood and Arvada. Notably, Douglas County challenged the state’s sanctuary policies in court. A Denver judge dismissed that lawsuit.

When asked for comment Thursday, a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson replied that the agency complies with state law.

A spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department said its officers would “step in and intervene if the act is so outrageous and compelling to the conscience. It is not just the law or our policy. It goes beyond tactics and what is right or wrong and comes down to morals.”

“If our officers witness an egregious or excessive use of force, they will not only step in, but will also report that use of force to their supervisors, just like they would if it involved any other officer,” the spokesperson said.

Publicly, Colorado officials have been cautious in speculating about heightened ICE activity in Denver. Some local officials, however, 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 by officers in response to federal immigration operations.

At the state level, lawmakers are pushing a measure giving people a “cause of action” to sue if a federal agent violates the U.S. Constitution during an immigration enforcement action.

In Denver, where officials are considering enacting the face coverings ban, a deputy legislative counsel said the Denver police would enforce the ban by arresting anyone, including ICE agents, who were in violation of it.

When asked about the latter proposal, Thomas admitted he has no idea how his officers could enforce such a ban.

“Fundamentally, I agree that they shouldn’t be wearing a mask when they engage in the way that they do,” Thomas said. “But what enforcement looks like, I’m not exactly sure, because I don’t necessarily think that it is best to meet force with force.”

Thomas added that, if the measure were to pass, there would be a lot of internal discussion about how to enforce the policy in an effective manner.

Distinguishing Denver police from ICE

Amid ICE operations around the Denver area, Thomas said the department is working to dispel any confusion between the local police force and federal authorities.

“It’s something that we understand. We regularly get contacted by members of the community, asking if something that they’ve observed is an ICE operation or a police operation,” Thomas said. “We have to make sure we help them understand exactly what they observed, and typically what they’re observing is officers engaged in conducting a search warrant or something like that.”

Thomas added that his department recognizes that many people remain confused about what local police look like, as opposed to ICE agents, and is considering publishing photos of officers in their various uniforms so the public can more easily distinguish them from federal authorities.

He also said that, in instances where officers wear black, armored tactical gear — such as for warrant executions, SWAT operations or deployment to protests — they wear DPD badges affixed to the front.

As for other ways to maintain the public trust, Thomas said that department officials have been routinely meeting with community leaders to discuss what’s going on in Minneapolis and gather feedback, as well as ensure a greater understanding of everyone’s legal rights.

“We continue to value de-escalation and we will be there to de-escalate any kind of situation that were to occur,” Thomas said.

Denver’s police chief also noted that the current immigration enforcement action throughout the country has made it harder, from his perspective, for local law enforcement to continue their work.

“I think there’s a lot of confusion that’s been created certainly,” Thomas said. “I think it has made it more difficult because communities are in fear, and I think communities are afraid to report crimes and cooperate with the police.”

Colorado Politics reporters Marianne Goodland and Marissa Ventrelli, as well as Denver Gazette Reporter Nico Brambila and City Editor Dennis Huspeni, contributed to this report. The Associated Press and Washington Examiner also contributed to this article.