On Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) signed an executive order banning ICE agents from city property and mandating law enforcement officers in Denver to protect demonstrators.
Law Enforcement Directive
The executive order includes the documentation of immigration officers with body cameras, giving life-saving assistance to to people harmed by immigration officers, and “to intervene in instances of force that could cause death or serious bodily injury by immigration enforcement agents.” These were the directives given to local police and sheriff’s deputies among other provisions.
Johnston stated: “We seek not to provoke but to protect. In a time of great fear, we are reminding Deverites that there are still those you can trust and lines you can’t cross. Our law enforcement and legal teams will stand up for civil liberties, and, if necessary, step in to protect the life and safety of our residents. This is our city, and we will defend the rights of every person in it.”
He added: “If we see any ICE officer using excessive force against a Denver resident, we will step in to detain that officer and remove them from the situation. We hold our own officers to that standard, and we will hold any ICE agent to the same.”
Denver police chief Ron Thomas said officers will not interfere with the lawful actions of immigration enforcement. “Federal agents are expected to follow local laws and public safety regulations. All law enforcement officers have a statutory obligation to intervene if they witness illegal or excessive force being used by any law enforcement officer, to include federal agents.”
Last year Denver was sued by the Administration for what the government called “improper interference” in immigration enforcement.
DHS Response
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called the order “legally illiterate.”
In a statement to The Hill, the spokesperson said: “Enforcing federal immigration laws is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy Clause. While Mayor Johnston continues to release pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and murderers onto their streets, our brave law enforcement will continue to risk their lives to arrest these heinous criminals and make Denver safe again.”
The executive order is symbolic as the state of Colorado does not have the power to stop federal officers from conducting operations, even in the face of sanctuary state laws.
Immigration Operations
The executive order is a stance amid the Trump administration’s immigration smackdown in Democratic-led states. The Trump agenda faced significant pushback in Minnesota after the Administration was accused of federal overreach.
This was compounded by the ICE shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month, and further exacerbated when the Trump administration accused them of “domestic terrorism.”
Other states have facilitated how local law enforcement will interact with ICE officers. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) signed an executive order banning cooperation agreements between sheriffs and federal immigration officers. On Wednesday, Wicomico County Sheriff Michael Lewis said the new law placed “politics over safety.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded to the Denver executive order: “ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities and local officials should work with them, not against them. Anyone doing otherwise is simply doing the bidding of criminal illegal aliens.”
Congress and DHS
Democratic lawmakers called for ICE reformation. Last month some House Democrats refused to back an appropriations bill to fund DHS resulting in an ongoing shutdown.
Sources:
Politico: Denver authorizes police to protect anti-ICE protesters
Denverite: Denver mayor’s executive order could have local police arresting ICE agents
The Hill: Denver mayor bans federal immigration agents from city property
Featured Image Courtesy of Thomas Hawk’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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