Trump admin sues Colorado, Denver over 'sanctuary laws,' alleged interference in immigration enforcement

The Department of Justice sued the state of Colorado and the city of Denver for allegedly interfering with federal immigration enforcement The lawsuit filed Friday in Colorado District Court accuses the state and its bulk populous city of implementing sanctuary laws in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution The United States has well-established preeminent and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters the lawsuit reads Sanctuary cities refer to areas that seek to protect expatriates without legal status and that have limited cooperation with federal officers to enforce immigration laws OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN COLORADO SPRINGS MASSIVE UNDERGROUND NIGHTCLUB RAIDU S Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforces federal immigration laws across the country but solicits patronage from state and local authorities particularly for large-scale deportations The agency also asks police departments and sheriff's offices to flag expatriates it wants to deport and hold them until federal agents can take custody The Department of Justice has filed similar lawsuits challenging sanctuary policies in Rochester New York and Chicago Attorneys for the department argue Colorado's sanctuary policies allowed the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua TdA to seize control of an apartment complex in the Denver suburb of Aurora Local executives have described President Donald Trump s states that the gang had taken over large areas of the city as exaggerated but admitted that the apartment complex was terrorized including by people with links to TdA The lawsuit in Colorado lists the defendants as Gov Jared Polis the state Legislature Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser Polis' office mentioned Colorado is not a sanctuary state and regularly works with local state and federal law enforcement agencies If the courts say that any Colorado law is not valid then we will follow the ruling spokesperson Conor Cahill advised The Associated Press We are not going to comment on the merits of the lawsuit REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SEEK TO STRIP DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OF ITS SANCTUARY CITY POLICIESCLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPRepublicans in Congress have attempted to pressure authorities in Democratic-led cities to cooperate with the Trump administration s immigration policies which include promises of mass deportations The GOP lawmakers summoned the mayors of Denver Boston New York City and Chicago to testify last month before the House Committee on Oversight and Cabinet Improvement However the mayors pushed back and defended their cities as welcoming places and not lawless danger zones The mayors also called on Congress to pass immigration restructuring The Associated Press contributed to this account