By Police1 Staff
DENVER — A Denver City Council committee passed an ordinance that would limit police interactions with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The committee passed the ordinance in a 6-1 vote Wednesday, KUSA reported. Mayor Michael Hancock also announced an executive order that would remove Denver from any immigration enforcement.
The bill would prevent jail staff from contacting ICE about an inmate’s release, unless they have a signed warrant from a federal judge or magistrate. ICE agents would need to obtain a warrant to gain access to secure areas of jails. Currently, jail employees must give ICE notice about inmates before their release.
“This bill is not about changing [ICE’s] responsibility, it’s not about impacting their job, it’s about simply saying, we are not required to do it and it’s not appropriate for us to do it,” Councilwoman Robin Kniech said.
Kniech said ICE knows who’s in the jails due to federal requirements.
“We will continue to follow the law and if you have a warrant, you get access to our jail, you get access to inmates and that is the practice in our country,” she said.
The mayor’s executive order would establish legal defense for immigrants through the nonprofit and legal community and would protect victims of crime, regardless of their immigration status. It would also help children and families who are separated by the system.
The ordinance will be proposed in front of the full council for a vote on Aug. 21. The deciding vote will be on Aug. 28.