DENVER — The ACLU of Colorado filed a lawsuit against an Aurora landlord today after repeated threats to report tenants to immigration authorities. The plaintiffs, proceeding under pseudonyms John Doe and Jane Roe, are a Venezuelan couple residing in Aurora, Colorado, with their two sons. Both Doe and Roe have pending asylum applications in the United States. The lawsuit argues that the landlord’s actions were an unlawful attempt to force the family to vacate their home without due process.
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, including by denigrating their country of origin, claiming they had no rights as Venezuelans, and even changing the apartment door locks without notice or legal proceedings, in violation of 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.
The lawsuit argues that the landlord's behavior violates Colorado's Immigrant Tenant Protection Act, enacted in 2020. This law explicitly prohibits landlords from threatening to disclose a tenant's immigration or citizenship status to law enforcement and from using such information to pressure tenants to vacate their homes. It also bars landlords from attempting to evict tenants based on their immigration or citizenship status.
“We will not allow our immigrant neighbors to be terrorized like this,” said Tim Macdonald, ACLU of Colorado Legal Director. “The landlord’s threats violate Colorado state law, which prevents landlords from trying to take advantage of the perceived immigration status of their tenants and coercing them into refraining from exercising their rights.”
The ACLU of Colorado asks the court to immediately enjoin the landlord’s abusive behavior and to stop threatening to use Doe and Roe’s immigration status as leverage to force them to vacate their home.
In addition to Macdonald, the legal team includes ACLU of Colorado Staff Attorneys Annie Kurtz and Emma Mclean-Riggs. The legal team received assistance from the East Colfax Community Collective, an advocacy organization that provides direct support to residents and businesses at risk of displacement.
