DENVER – Colorado became a symbol of immigrant-sanctuary laws run amok last year after Tren de Aragua gang members set up shop at an Aurora apartment complex, but that didn’t stop the Democratic state legislature from doubling down.
Headed to Democratic Gov. Jared Polis’ desk is Senate Bill 276, a measure that expands benefits for illegal immigrants and reduces cooperation with federal immigration enforcement in defiance of President Trump’s April 28 executive order against sanctuary jurisdictions.
It turns out that pushing back the Trump administration was the point, according to the bill’s sponsors.
“Our bill safeguards the civil and constitutional rights of everyone in Colorado,” Democratic state Rep. Lorena Garcia said in a statement. “Between carrying out sweeping, untargeted deportations that have included American citizens and defying federal court orders, the Trump administration’s immigration overreach has struck fear in Colorado communities.”
Democrats named the bill “Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status,” but Rob Natelson, senior fellow at the Independence Institute in Denver, has another label: the “Venezuelan Gang Protection Act.”
“If you want gangs of illegal immigrants terrorizing your neighborhood, you’ll love SB 276,” said Mr. Natelson in an article last week on Complete Colorado. “You’ll also love it if you want less-violent illegals taking away American jobs or being subsidized at your expense.”
The legislation builds on the state’s current sanctuary laws by adding schools and local governments to the list of public entities prohibited from providing personal information about illegal immigrants to federal immigration authorities without a court order.
The measure also removes the requirement that illegal immigrants must submit affidavits saying that they are actively pursuing legal status to qualify for benefits including in-state tuition and state ID cards.
Illegal immigrants who plead guilty to Class 3 misdemeanors, traffic offenses and “petty offenses” would be able to petition a court to vacate the plea if they were not informed of the “adverse immigration consequences.”
Mr. Polis has not said whether he will sign the legislation, but it’s already too late to avoid a showdown with the federal government.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Friday against sanctuary laws already on the books in Colorado and Denver, saying they were enacted “for the sole purpose of impeding the Federal Government’s ability to enforce immigration law and remove illegal aliens” in violation of the supremacy clause.
“The nation was shocked by images and videos of members of Tren de Aragua seizing control of apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado,” said the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Colorado.
“The fact that a foreign terrorist organization could gain such a foothold in the United States of America is unacceptable,” the complaint said. “But it is the direct byproduct of the sanctuary policies pushed by the State of Colorado, and certain of its subdivisions.”
Mr. Trump has warned that states seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement may lose federal funding. Even so, the Colorado bill passed both houses on party-line votes.
“It’s purely anti-Trump, anti-Trump-agenda legislation,” House Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter told The Washington Times. “It’s a knee jerk reaction to the election. The sponsors even said that. Once the election happened in November, they knew that they had to do something. It’s a poke in the eye at the administration.”
The majority party just passed SB25-276 — solidifying Colorado as a sanctuary state.
Doubling down on policies like this diverts taxpayer dollars to non-citizens while turning their backs on hardworking Coloradans.
I’ll keep fighting to put public safety and our citizens first. pic.twitter.com/a3f3Fbkm5D
— Representative Ty Winter (@RepTyWinter) May 4, 2025
He said the bill puts federal funding at risk at a time when the costs associated with illegal immigration are higher than ever. A legislative analysis estimated the annual cost to state taxpayers at $544.5 million, which includes education, healthcare, driver’s licenses, and legal defense.
“Colorado taxpayers are already paying nearly half a billion dollars each year due to illegal immigration,” said House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese. “This bill also jeopardizes critical federal funding, such as $5.3 billion in medical care and $776 for public education, which could result in devastating cuts to essential services.”
Democrats counter that illegal immigrants contribute to the economy – a report last year from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy said undocumented Coloradans paid $437 million in taxes in 2022 – but that the Trump administration’s deportation orders put them at risk.
“The Trump administration’s attacks on our civil liberties have sparked chaos among our immigrant communities – parents are afraid to pick up their children from daycare, workers are scared to show up to their jobs,” Democratic state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco said.
Democrats have also argued that reports of the Tren de Aragua presence in Aurora were overblown, but as far as Republican state Rep. Carlos Barron is concerned, they’re missing the point.
“That’s what really triggered the current administration to focus on Colorado, but some of the Democrat representatives here in the House don’t see that,” he said. “They’re still in denial, and they’re pushing bills like these that double down on their denial.”
