Residents of suburban areas around Denver are considering filing a lawsuit against the sanctuary city, accusing it of a massive influx of immigrants that has led to an increase in gang activity.
Castle Rock City Council passed a motion this month directing the city attorney to consider a lawsuit against Denver over the city's sanctuary policies that have allowed more than 42,000 immigrants to stream into the area while shielding them from federal immigration authorities.
“We know a storm is coming.”
The motion was introduced by Castle Rock City Councilman Max Brooks. KCNC TV“This is not just a Denver decision, because it affects other parts of the Front Range, so our goal is to work with other municipalities to say it's time to stop.”
“Our town attorney's office has already spoken to the Douglas County County Attorney, spoken to the city of Aurora, spoken to the city of Parker,” Brooks said, suggesting other municipalities have also expressed interest in joining the lawsuit.
Parker and Aurora are also considering joining the lawsuit, according to KCNC.
“We don't want a dime from Denver. We just want Denver to stop continuing policies that are hurting the Front Range,” he continued. “We don't need to wait until a hurricane to board up our windows and leave town. We know the storm is coming.”
Brooks said the increase in immigrants moving to Douglas County has led to a “crime boom.”
“This is not about labeling immigrants and deporting them. That's not what this is about. This is about stopping Denver from letting in more immigrants when it's clear they can't handle what's already happened,” he added.
Parts of Aurora have recently seen an increased presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, with reports that the gang has taken over several apartment buildings.
Aurora City Councilman Daniel Jurinski blames gang activity on Denver's sanctuary policies.
“Getting the media and other elected officials across the Denver metro area to acknowledge that this trend exists and that there's a problem has been like pulling teeth,” Jurinski previously told Fox News Digital.
But Colorado Governor Jared Polis (Democrat) has argued that the TDA's incursions into some apartment complexes were largely the result of Jurinski's “imagination.”
Earlier this year, several counties filed a lawsuit against Denver, alleging that the city's policies are “creating a dangerous situation” for Colorado residents and immigrants, The Blaze News previously reported. Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Garfield, Mesa and Rio Blanco counties also joined the suit.
“Our mission as a whole is to keep this county safe and it's my job to keep the residents of Douglas County safe,” Douglas County Deputy Sheriff Dave Walcher said at the time, “and what we've seen in one of the bills that's been discussed over the last couple of years, going back to 2019, is the fact that it would limit our ability to work with ICE.” [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]”
Cited in the lawsuit are Colorado state Rep. 19-1124 and 23-1100The county argued that the move was “illegal and unconstitutional” because it undermines federal immigration laws and regulations.
The law prohibits state law enforcement agencies from sharing information about illegal immigrants with federal immigration authorities.
“A lot of counties and municipalities across the state are interested in joining us on this,” District 2 Commissioner George Thiel previously told KNUS about the lawsuit.
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