Category Archives: Issues

December 7, 2018 DENVER – State District Court Judge Eric Bentley issued a final ruling last night barring El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder from holding people in jail at the request of federal immigration enforcement (ICE) after they have posted bond, completed their sentence, or otherwise resolved their criminal case. “In issuing a very thorough final ruling that concludes the proceedings in state district court, Judge Bentley explained that Colorado sheriffs have no legal authority to enforce.... | Read More

The 2018 elections are critical, and we encourage everyone to vote. We do not endorse candidates, but we do take positions on initiatives that impact civil rights and civil liberties. Click here to download your 2018 Voter Guide. This year, ACLU of Colorado has taken the following positions on statewide ballot initiatives: Vote YES on Amendment A to remove slavery from the Colorado constitution: The Colorado constitution currently reads, "There shall never be in this state either slavery.... | Read More

https://soundcloud.com/thepurplestatereport/scotus-and-life-after-roe With Justice Kennedy’s retirement and Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court there are a lot of anxieties about civil liberties in general, but specifically reproductive rights. On this episode, ACLU of Colorado Reproductive Rights Campaign Coordinator Delana Maynes interviews Reproductive Rights Policy Council Lizzy Hinkley on the real possibility that the Supreme Court could overturn Roe v. Wade. Later.... | Read More

https://soundcloud.com/thepurplestatereport/inmigracion-conozca-sus-derechos Las acciones recientes de ICE y la Administración de Trump han generado preocupacion en la comunidad de inmigrantes de Colorado. Ahora es un buen momento para recordarles a todos que la Constitución y la Carta de Derechos protegen a "Nosotros la gente", no a "Nosotros los ciudadanos." Field Director Alejandra Garza y Staff Attorney Arash Jahanian presentan un programa especial sobre los.... | Read More

https://soundcloud.com/thepurplestatereport/immigration-know-your-rights Recent actions by ICE and the Trump deportation machine have raised concerns in the Colorado immigrant community. Now is a good time to remind everyone that the Constitution and Bill of Rights protects “We the people,” not “We the citizens.” Field Director Alejandra Garza and Staff Attorney Arash Jahanian present a special know your rights discussion for immigrants and their families. We also have a bonus pod of.... | Read More

https://soundcloud.com/thepurplestatereport/immigrant-rights-are-civil-rights The Department of Justice has suspended funding for the Legal Orientation Program which provides essential legal information to people in immigration detention. Staff Attorney Arash Jahanian sits down with Mekela Goehring, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network, to discuss the consequences of ending the program and the most important things immigration detainees and their families should.... | Read More

February 27, 2018 DENVER – El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder is violating Colorado law by refusing, at the request of federal immigration officials, to release prisoners who have posted bond, completed their sentence, or otherwise resolved their criminal case, according to a class action lawsuit filed today by the ACLU of Colorado. Colorado sheriffs have no legal authority to enforce federal immigration law. Nevertheless, according to the ACLU lawsuit, Sheriff Elder has unlawfully imprisoned.... | Read More

As Donald Trump read his State of the Union address, offering DACA recipients as a bargaining chip for his wall, along with stingier limits on legal immigration and funding for a more vicious immigration enforcement regime, a victim of that regime, Audemio Orozco-Ramirez, sat in the for-profit GEO detention facility in Aurora, Colorado, facing imminent deportation. Audemio has a wife and seven children in Vida, Montana, where he has worked as a ranch hand and lived for 20 years. Six of his children,.... | Read More

https://soundcloud.com/thepurplestatereport/reproductive-justice Subscribe to our podcast. This week marked the second annual Women’s March and the 45th anniversary of Roe V. Wade. The ACLU of Colorado invited four women to discuss the state of reproductive rights and reproductive justice in the age of Trump. Also, ACLU of Colorado Public Policy Director Denise Maes discusses three bills in the Colorado legislature that threaten reproductive healthcare. Call to Action: Take 60 seconds and.... | Read More

November 7, 2017 DENVER - The ACLU of Colorado filed a lawsuit in federal court this morning against El Paso County on behalf of Jasmine Still, a Colorado Springs resident who was held in jail for 27 days after a court granted her release, without payment of money, through a personal recognizance bond (PR bond). Despite the court’s order, El Paso County continued to hold Ms. Still, because she was unable to pay a $55 fee for El Paso County Pretrial Services. According to the lawsuit, El Paso.... | Read More