In mid-April, 2014, the ACLU of Colorado wrote to Denver Sheriff Gary Wilson demanding that Denver County stop honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers. Detainers are requests from the federal government asking that states and municipalities hold prisoners until ICE can determine their immigration status, often past the time they would otherwise be released. At the end of April, the ACLU of Colorado wrote to all Colorado sheriffs with the same demand. Within a few months, every Colorado sheriff pledged to stop honoring ICE detainers.
ACLU news releases:
- "Denver joins growing list of counties no longer honoring federal immigration detainers," ACLU News Release, April 30, 2014
- "Majority of Colorado sheriffs now reject federal immigraiton detainers," ACLU News Release, July 2, 2014
- "All Colorado jails now reject federal immigration detainers," ACLU News Release, September 18, 2014
Media:
- “More Local Law Enforcement Officials Are Refusing to Comply With Obama’s Deportation Policies,” The Nation, May 2, 2014
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“Some Colorado counties refusing federal immigration holds,” CPR News, June 24, 2014
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“ICE gets iced by ACLU and most Colo sheriffs,” Colorado Independent, July 3, 2014