The Colorado Immigrant Tenant Protection Act (“the Act”), enacted in 2020, expressly prohibits landlords from disclosing or threatening to disclose to law enforcement, including immigration enforcement, information regarding their tenants’ immigration or citizenship status. It further forbids landlords from harassing, intimidating, or retaliating against tenants for efforts to enforce their legal protections.
John Doe and Jane Roe are a Venezuelan couple who reside in Aurora, Colorado, with their two sons. In November 2024, Doe and Roe incurred unexpected medical expenses that led them to fall behind on rent. In response, the landlord repeatedly threatened and coerced the family. For example, the landlord denigrated the tenants’ country of origin, claiming they had no rights as Venezuelans, and even changed the apartment door locks without notice or legal proceedings, violating Colorado law. The situation escalated further on January 24, 2025, when the landlord visited the apartment and repeatedly threatened to report Doe and Roe to law enforcement if the family did not vacate within hours. He went so far as to tell them that they should go sleep in the cold, or else immigration authorities would come that very day.
On January 28, 2025, the ACLU of Colorado filed a lawsuit and a motion for a temporary restraining order (“TRO”) against the landlord arguing that their actions violated the Act. The motion for TRO asked the court to immediately enjoin the landlord’s abusive behavior and leveraging Doe and Roe’s immigration status to force them to vacate their home.
The day after filing the motion for TRO, on January 29, the Court issued an order finding that Doe and Roe demonstrated immediate and irreparable injury and entered the TRO enjoining the landlord from disclosing information about their immigration status, harassing, or intimidating Doe, Roe, and their children.
ACLU PRESS RELEASES:
ACLU of Colorado Sues Landlord for Threatening to Report Family to Immigration Authorities, January 28, 2025
MEDIA:
"ACLU of Colorado Sues Aurora Landlord Who Allegedly Threatened to Report Tenants to Immigration Authorities", Denver7, January 28, 2025
"Aurora Landlords Violated the Law in Threatening to Report Tenants to ICE, ACLU of Colorado says in Lawsuit", CBS News Colorado, January 28, 2025
