Lawyers in Colorado have raised concerns that the state’s electronic court filing system mandates them to promise they won’t share personal information with federal immigration enforcement like ICE. This has sparked discussions about a new state law, the Civil Rights and Immigration Status Protection Act of 2025, which aims to protect individuals’ immigration statuses across various sectors, including healthcare and education.
Ian Speer, who runs Covenant Law, shared a screenshot of what he claims is a form he had to endorse to access the court’s filing system. Interestingly, this particular page isn’t available to the public; a review by Fox News Digital found that only registered attorneys in Colorado could access it.
The form includes a statement attorneys must certify, indicating they won’t use personal information from the database for any purposes related to federal immigration law unless legally compelled to do so. The structure of the prompt requires them to either “accept” or “decline,” creating a sort of gatekeeping mechanism that many find troubling.
Speer remarked that Colorado essentially requires attorneys to agree to not assist federal authorities in immigration enforcement just to log in to the official e-filing system. He admits that while his practice doesn’t focus on immigration law, he feels uncomfortable endorsing such conditions just to do his job.
He shared that accepting these terms limited his ability to represent clients or file legal documents, which is frustrating. In his view, Colorado might be unlawfully collecting personal information through this system. Speer mentioned gathering other attorneys in the state to discuss potential challenges to what he calls an anti-federal sanctuary policy.
Another lawyer, Matt Barber, criticized the state’s requirement as “indefensible.” He pointed out that an updated certification process was introduced by the Colorado Department of Justice to comply with this law, which was implemented in March.
The Colorado law has drawn varied reactions, with some critics likening current political maneuvers to historical civil disobedience. Barber noted that while most personal information from the court remains public, this requirement only restricts specific non-public data related to immigration status.
As the debate continues, Fox News Digital has sought comments from various state officials, including Governor Jared Polis and the Department of Homeland Security, regarding the implications of this law and how it affects the practices of attorneys across Colorado.
The 2025 Act, written by Democratic Senators Julie Gonzalez and Mike Wiseman, is also noted for preventing civil arrests at courthouses and eliminating requirements for proof of lawful presence for college and driver’s license applications.
