Gonzales & Jaquez Lewis’ Bill To Reduce Local Government Participation in Immigrant Detention Clears Committee

HB23-1100 would end formal cooperation between ICE and Colorado sheriffs

DENVER, CO – Today the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance Senators Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Sonya Jaquez Lewis’, D-Longmont, bill to prohibit local governments from providing space in jails and prisons to detain undocumented people for civil immigration purposes.

HB23-1100 would limit local governments' participation in immigration detention by prohibiting them from entering into certain contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and with private detention facilities. The bill also prohibits state and local governments from opening or facilitating new private immigration detention facilities.

“Over the past few years we have made significant progress to limit Colorado’s local governments’ involvement in federal immigration detention policies,” Gonzales said. “This bill takes us another step closer to ending involvement altogether, helping ensure we are living out our Colorado values and working to keep immigrant families in Colorado whole.”

“Right now, Colorado taxpayers are helping fund ICE facilities and detention,” said Jaquez Lewis. “This runs counter to the values of an overwhelming majority of Coloradans and it’s time to put an end to it. With this bill, we’re ensuring critical state dollars and resources are not being used to enforce federal policies that separate families and thrust undocumented people into dangerous detainment.”

In 2019, Gonzales passed legislation to prohibit state law enforcement officers from arresting or detaining people on federal immigration charges.

HB23-1100 now heads to the Senate floor for further consideration. You can follow the bill’s progress HERE.