{"id":316,"date":"2026-05-21T04:34:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T04:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=316"},"modified":"2026-05-21T04:34:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T04:34:32","slug":"house-committee-targets-boulder-sanctuary-policies-demands-records-from-local-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=316","title":{"rendered":"House committee targets Boulder sanctuary policies, demands records from local officials"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<div><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"136px\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_BaYyLH62r8a?client=wp&amp;client_version=3.1.8\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary has requested records and information from Boulder County and the City of Boulder about their sanctuary city immigration policies, alleging that Boulder is endangering communities by refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=314\">\ud83c\udfd5\ufe0f Court upholds Boulder camping ban<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The committee\u2019s chairman, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, issued letters on May 20 to Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, County Sheriff Curtis Johnson and Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn. Other sanctuary cities, including Denver, Philadelphia and Arlington, Virginia, have received similar requests for information in recent weeks. The committee says the letters are part of its oversight of federal immigration policies and that Boulder\u2019s response will \u201cinform potential legislative reforms to address sanctuary policies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, Dougherty called the letter \u201cpolitical theater that ignores serious failures within the federal immigration system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The City of Boulder declared itself a sanctuary city after Trump took office in 2017. The ordinance states that city employees, including police, will not cooperate with federal authorities to investigate a person\u2019s immigration status, and that city resources will not be used to detain anyone based on their suspected immigration status. The county has similar policies.<\/p>\n<p>The  from the congressional committee requested internal documents and communications related to officials\u2019 interactions with ICE, prosecutions of \u201cnon-U.S. citizens,\u201d Know Your Rights trainings on how to interact with ICE, and the number of ICE detainers each law enforcement agency has declined, according to Dougherty\u2019s letter and Colorado Politics.<\/p>\n<p>The letter asked Boulder officials to provide responses by June 3.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Boulder\u2019s sanctuary city policy<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Boulder\u2019s ordinance states that undocumented people pay taxes and are therefore entitled to city services, like police and firefighting services, public libraries and rec centers, but may choose not to do so out of fear that local officials will cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The sanctuary city policy is intended to address this concern.<\/p>\n<p>Boulder County Sheriff Curtis Johnson has said that county officers w and do not actively share information with ICE about individuals in the Boulder County Jail for similar reasons.<\/p>\n<p>In March, a federal judge ruled that the federal government cannot compel localities to enforce immigration laws,  a case from the Department of Justice against the City of Denver over its immigration policies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cState implementation and enforcement of the federal immigration scheme is necessarily voluntary,\u201d Judge Gordon P. Gallagher wrote in his ruling. \u201cFederal law permits the federal government to contract with state and local governments to further federal immigration enforcement, but does not require such.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2><strong>District Attorney\u2019s policies and response<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In its letter to Dougherty, the committee called out specific DA policies that it claimed gave \u201cpreferential treatment to aliens.\u201d Those included the DA\u2019s willingness to move court dates for defendants who fear immigration officials could use those appearances to locate them;\u00a0Dougherty\u2019s suggestion that Flock, an automatic license plate reader company, restrict ICE\u2019s access; and the fact that his office considers immigration status when sentencing some non-violent crimes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The congressional committee objected to this practice, saying the policies \u201caim to shield criminal aliens from accountability and ultimately imperil Colorado communities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=313\">Suzanne Bhatt: Boulder County\u2019s alternating trail-use proposal can balance safety, access and conservation<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnder your office\u2019s pro-crime, pro-illegal immigration policies, illegal alien criminals are<\/p>\n<p>allowed to freely operate, terrorize local communities, and reoffend without consequences,\u201d the letter reads.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, earlier this year, in response to an aggressive campaign to detain and deport immigrants in Minneapolis, Dougherty also reissued guidance about how to respond to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers, telling residents to call the police if ICE agents try to enter their homes without a warrant. Both Boulder Police and the Boulder County Sheriff\u2019s Office confirmed they would respond to those calls.<\/p>\n<p>In a press release, the DA\u2019s office said it \u201cprosecutes violent criminals regardless of immigration status and follows Colorado law while prioritizing public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am committed to fighting for public safety, supporting victims, and doing justice. Congress, on the other hand, has been accomplishing remarkably little,\u201d Dougherty said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Dougherty also argued that federal failures contributed to the June 1 firebombing attack on Pearl Street. Prosecutors said Mohamed Soliman used Molotov cocktails and incendiary devices to attack demonstrators calling for the release of Israeli hostages before later pleading guilty in state court to murder and dozens of other charges.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlso, federal systems failed to stop the firebomber before innocent people were harmed, even when his attempted purchase of a firearm was denied due to his immigration status,\u201d he said. \u201cAfter the attack, I worked with our law enforcement partners, fought for the victims, and secured justice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Boulder Police and Sheriff\u2019s Office both requested more time to review their letters before responding to Boulder Reporting Lab\u2019s questions. Both the city and county governments have defended sanctuary city policies in the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Last May, county commissioners emphasized that the 10th Amendment \u201cprevents the federal government from forcing states to use their own resources to enforce federal statutes, including immigration laws.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf being a \u2018sanctuary jurisdiction\u2019 means that we support due process of law and human rights, then we are proud of that moniker,\u201d the statement from commissioners reads.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=312\">Colorado appeals court sides with Boulder in camping ban challenge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The congressional committee accused Boulder officials of obstructing immigration enforcement and requested records related to ICE.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":315,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-policing"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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