New Denver order takes aim at ICE activity — ordering police to protect protesters, possibly by detaining agents
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston signed an executive order Thursday that’s intended to protect protesters demonstrating against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations if the city becomes the next target for a surge.
His order requires Denver Police Department officers to intervene and detain ICE agents if they see the agents using any “excessive force.” It also bans the federal agents from using city-owned property for their operations.
Standing in front of the City and County Building in downtown Denver, Johnston told reporters that his goal with the order wasn’t to provoke President Donald Trump.
“My first job is to run this city,” he said. “But in today’s America, that means answering questions from our residents about what happens if ICE troops descend on our city.”
Police Chief Ron Thomas, along with other city leaders, stood behind Johnston during the announcement, supporting the order.
“This executive order makes it clear that we will protect all of our residents, and the federal agents are expected to follow local laws and public safety regulations,” he said.
City Attorney Miko Brown said during the news conference that the order is constitutional.
“Setting clear legal boundaries is not an act of defiance, it’s responsible governance,” she said.
She clarified that the order would prohibit federal agents from entering or using facilities like the city’s overnight shelters, community centers, libraries and city-run arenas like the Denver Coliseum.
In a news release about the order, Johnston’s office said “police will use their established de-escalation protocols to protect peaceful protesters, their First Amendment rights, and ensure public health, welfare, and safety.”
Johnston said the new rules will pair with an ordinance the City Council is poised to pass next week. It would prohibit all law enforcement officers, including ICE and other federal agents, from covering their faces during detention and arrests.
The mayor added that he doesn’t have any information about whether ICE or the Trump administration intend to send an influx of agents to the city anytime soon.
Federal agencies have carried out ongoing operations in the Denver area since last year, but not on the same scale as cities like Chicago and Minneapolis have seen in recent months.
Denver, nearby Aurora and Colorado as a whole have been a focus for the president during his second term. He has threatened the cities and state multiple times with increased immigration enforcement and withdrawal of federal dollars.
Last year, Trump and Republicans in Congress even threatened to have Johnston arrested.
When asked Thursday if his order, which had quickly received national media attention, could goad Trump into focusing even more on the city, Johnston said that wasn’t his intent.
“Our goal is not to provoke but to protect,” he said.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.