On February 14, 2025, the ACLU of Colorado sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), demanding federal immigration authorities comply with state law and Trump Administration policy, which prohibit civil immigration arrests in Colorado. The letter was sent in response to reports of courthouse arrests executed by federal immigration authorities.
“Both state law and the administration’s own internal policies are clear in prohibiting these kinds of arrests,” said Tim Macdonald, ACLU of Colorado Legal Director. “These ICE enforcement actions on people who are going to or from court are a direct threat to the rule of law and the functioning of the judicial system in our state. They do nothing for public safety, inflict terror on our immigrant communities, and deter victims, witnesses, defendants, litigants, and the general public from accessing Colorado’s judicial system.”
Internal policies adopted by the Trump Administration prohibit these types of civil arrests when they violate laws of the local jurisdiction, like they do in Colorado. In 2020, the Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill 20-083 to prohibit civil courthouse arrests. This law was intended to ensure that people, regardless of immigration status, feel comfortable participating in court proceedings and investigations.
“These courthouse arrests break with the fundamental values of our justice system and hinders public safety instead of improving it,” said Sophia Mayott-Guerrero, ACLU of Colorado Director of Advocacy and Strategic Alliances. “When the legislature passed SB20-083, our leaders made a promise to all Coloradans that courthouses — and our justice system — would work for everyone, regardless of immigration status. These arrests betray that.”
The letter requests a response from ICE and DHS by February 20, 2025.
