Senate Democrats in Colorado introduced a contentious bill this week that would expand protections for illegal immigrants and help them avoid what lawmakers called “mass-deportation work” by the Trump administration.
Senate Bill 25-276 was passed by a close-knit group of Democrats, 22-13, with just one Democrat joining the Republicans in criticism. Senator Kyle Mullica claimed in a report that he was opposed to the estimate because he needed more time to examine a number of proposed revisions.
The bill proposes a number of radical changes that will radically alter the way and places where immigration and customs enforcement ( ICE ) can operate within the state. Local institutions and other public entities are prohibited from disclosing personal data to immigration authorities, and it restricts ICE’s access to specific locations, including libraries, schools, hospitals, jails, and child care facilities, unless agents have a permit.
SB 276 expands on condition statutes that now forbid state firms from revealing sensitive personal information to ICE, such as immigration status, addresses, and birthdays. Similar regulations would be applied to local governments and companies of public services in accordance with the new plan.
In remarks made by state lawmaker Jessie Danielson, a Democrat, according to the Colorado Newsline,” We’re in a time where people are being unfairly targeted, incarcerated, removed, and deported,” said the Democrat.
The costs would include one of its key rules:
- ICE summonses or police operations prevent prison guards from halting the transfer of immigrants who have posted bonds.
- Expand the legal process for noncitizens to renounce their guilty pleas for class-three offenses, thereby reducing potential efforts to obtain legal immigration position in the future.
- If not required by law, prohibit state defense or National Guard forces from conducting business in Colorado without the governor’s express approval.
- Reform requirements that require illegal immigrants to submit affidavits stating their intention to find legal status in order to be eligible for in-state education or a driver’s license.
Democratic lawmakers have voiced powerful opposition to the bill, putting its legality and influence on immigration enforcement in question. According to Republican Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, the bill limits cooperation between state, local governments, and national immigration government, which could obstruct the enforcement of immigration laws that are the responsibility of the federal government.
Democrats Julie Gonzales and Mike Weissman, the senator’s main backers in the Senate, are the House’s Elizabeth Velasco and Lorena Garcia, the two other main backers.
As the parliamentary period draws to a close, SB 276 is now up for discussion in the state House.
