Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday signed an executive order barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from operating on city-owned property and directing local police to protect peaceful protesters during federal immigration enforcement actions.
The order prohibits ICE agents from staging or conducting operations in city buildings, parks, shelters, parking facilities, libraries, and other municipal spaces without a judicial warrant. It also authorizes the Denver Police Department to intervene if officers witness what the city considers excessive force against residents during enforcement activity.
Johnston said the measure is designed to protect civil liberties and ensure public safety amid heightened tensions surrounding federal immigration crackdowns.
City officials said police are directed to use de-escalation protocols and body-worn cameras during interactions involving immigration enforcement, and to investigate any alleged misconduct by federal agents that may violate state or local law.
The move comes as the administration of Donald Trump has expanded the use of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a nationwide immigration crackdown. Human rights advocates have criticized the enforcement surge, particularly following fatal shootings in Minnesota earlier this year during federal operations.
Johnston said the city’s action is not intended to obstruct lawful federal authority but to clarify Denver’s position on protecting residents and ensuring city resources are not used to facilitate civil immigration enforcement.
The executive order marks one of the most assertive steps by a Democratic-led city in response to renewed federal immigration enforcement efforts. Federal officials have previously argued that local resistance complicates immigration operations and undermines national security objectives.
By DNU Staff