Colorado
Colorado bishops on immigration: ‘Open border is not a just system’
Denver, Colo., Jan 24, 2025 / 14:45 pm
Following President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders on immigration, Colorado’s Catholic bishops on Friday encouraged the U.S. to balance justice and mercy in its regulation of immigration to the country.
Colorado’s bishops called for reform of the “broken” American immigration system, criticizing both an “open border” immigration policy for being dangerous and unlawful while at the same time condemning mass deportations.
In a joint letter titled “Welcoming the Stranger, Protecting the Common Good,” Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Bishop Stephen Berg of Pueblo, Bishop James Golka of Colorado Springs, and Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodríguez of Denver encouraged government officials to “welcome the stranger” while taking responsibility to “ensure the safety and well-being of local communities.”
The bishops noted that the country’s immigration system has “grown more unlawful” since 2020.
“The Catholic Church teaches that while individuals and their families have the right to migrate, no country has the duty to receive so many immigrants that its social and economic life is jeopardized,” the bishops indicated.
The state’s bishops specifically criticized what it called an “open border” policy that previously “restricted Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) ability to investigate, arrest, or deport spies, terrorists, and felons.”
“This has resulted in the loss of life and situations of unrest and violence, including in Aurora, Colorado, where 16 recent migrant members of the Venezuelan gang ‘Tren de Aragua’ were taken into custody in December following an armed home invasion and kidnapping.”
The bishops also condemned the harm recent federal policies caused to families and children.
“Since 2020,” the bishops stated, “the DHS has encountered 515,000 unaccompanied minors at the border — 75% of them were reportedly sexually abused by their smugglers,” the bishops noted.
In addition, the bishops took note of the fentanyl crisis, citing the statistic that U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 17,000 pounds of the deadly substance at the southern border from October 2022 to April 2023.
“Drug smuggling and human trafficking are on the rise because of the open border policy,” the bishops noted.
Respect for human dignity
“We are called to be both bold and balanced,” the bishops declared. “Immigration policies should balance mercy with justice, ensuring public safety while upholding the dignity of each person,” the bishops wrote.
The bishops underscored that “in times of crisis, justice dictates that the world community has an obligation to provide basic human needs, such as shelter, food, medical services, and the ability to work for those in urgent need. However, even when migration occurs without crisis, a nation’s limits on migration should be based on justice, mercy, and the common good.”
While recognizing the right of nations to enforce their borders, the bishops also condemned mass deportations.
“Mass deportation is not the solution to our present situation in the United States, especially when it may separate parents and children,” the bishops said.
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Commitment to migrant families
“We understand the national conversation regarding mass deportations and raids on migrant families have created genuine fear for many we shepherd in our dioceses,” the bishops continued.
“We commit to walking in solidarity with you, our migrant brothers, sisters, and families. We will shepherd you spiritually, gather information and resources, and continue to advocate for your dignity and family unity.”
The bishops noted that “the Gospel compels us to see Christ in those who seek refuge among us.”
“Each migrant bears the image of God and deserves our respect, compassion, and support,” the bishop said.
In the conclusion of their letter, the state’s bishops urged Catholics to “advocate for comprehensive immigration reform,” “support local initiatives that aid immigrants and refugees in their transition to life in our communities,” and to pray for “those who are displaced” as well as for local, state, and national leaders “to address the broken immigration system that has caused so much hurt and division.”
Colorado
Colorado Youth Outdoors receives 131 acres of donated land
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado Youth Outdoors said it has been donated 131 acres of land near its existing facilities in northeast Colorado.
The nonprofit youth organization said Tuesday that the plan is to put the land — which was donated by Chevron — into a conservation easement with the help of Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust.
The donated land is located east of US Highway 85 and Weld County Road 114 near the town of Nunn, according to CYO, which said the property will allow it to “further its mission of building adult and child relationships through outdoor recreation.”
CYO said placing the land in a conservation easement, meanwhile, will make sure that it remains both undeveloped and conserved “into perpetuity.”
“This new property will allow CYO’s mission and vision to reach many more Colorado families,” the organization said in a news release.
CYO said the land donation was part of Chevron’s “Comprehensive Wildlife Plan.”
Colorado
Northern Colorado company to build 400-acre rocket testing site in Weld County
A multi-million dollar aerospace company in Northern Colorado, which helps design rocket engines for the military, is expanding its operation in Weld County. Ursa Major, currently located in Berthoud, recently announced they were building a rocket testing pad in Weld County near Briggsdale.
“It is a fascinating process,” said Chris Engdahl, chief safety and risk officer for Ursa Major. “Ursa Major is, I think, the next great aerospace and defense company. And it is right here in Berthoud, Colorado.”
The current rocket testing location is just off Interstate 25. The campus looks like a set of normal office and warehouse structures in the middle of an otherwise empty field, neighbored by a couple of dozen homes from a community nearby. In the field is a stack of cement blocks that surrounds the test location for the rocket motors Ursa Major ultimately sells to companies and even the U.S. military.
“There is nowhere else like it, where we are co-located with build and testing, throughout the day, you can hear rocket engines going off in the background and motors being tested, it is really incredible,” said Bill Murray, cofounder and VP of products and engineering.
CBS News Colorado was taken on a tour of the current facility in Berthoud, but was not permitted to record video of the assembly or testing process. Ursa Major provided a sample video of what tests of their rocket engines look like.
“We have booked over $100 million in contracts this year and we are growing rapidly,” Murray said.
Murray said the company is growing so quickly that they are looking to hire more Coloradans from universities like Colorado State University and the University of Colorado as they prepare to expand their staff and property.
“We just expanded in Briggsdale, Colorado, with a new 400-acre test site to test large rocket motors,” Murray said.
“Think of all the missile systems the Army, the Navy, Marine Corps, the Air Force use. We are the provider for the engines of those technologies,” Engdahl said.
Not only are the rocket engines being developed in Northern Colorado used by the military, but they are also being used by the private sector.
“Our liquid rocket engines are being used on recurring hypersonic test flights,” Murray said.
“I think the whole state of Colorado is very keen on being a leader in aerospace defense,” Engdahl said.
Colorado
Men’s recovery center STEP Springs to open Tuesday in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – There will soon be a new resource for men battling addiction and homelessness in the Pikes Peak region. STEP Springs is set to open at its new Colorado Springs facility on Tuesday.
This program is a new branch of one already established in Denver, and many of the employees in the Springs said they have gone through it themselves.
Andre Podpolucha is acting as the director of operations for the facility, and he, himself, said he got help from the program in Denver.
“Prior to all this, I was living under a bridge in Englewood. I was homeless for about a year and a half. And I burnt every bridge that I had,” Podpolucha said, “so I had nowhere else to turn.”
When Podpolucha first arrived to STEP, he said he was worried he was going to have the same experience he did at 18 other programs he used to try and get clean, but he said he was pleasantly surprised.
“They’re treating me like I’m a human,” Podpolucha said.
Through the program, which has been in Denver for 42 years, many of the men leaving the facility find lasting sobriety and full-time, tax-paying jobs.
Podpolucha said some, like himself, are even able to rebuild relationships that were once lost.
“All the family that didn’t want to talk to me or didn’t want a relationship because of my actions,” Podpolucha said, “they all wanted a relationship with me.”
City officials recently said nearly 600 more people are homeless in Colorado Springs in 2025 compared to 2024.
Executive Director Meghan Shay told 11 News she hopes to help those numbers go down.
“For years, we’ve been hearing from the leaders of the community, various private foundations, the mayor and other elected officials, that there is a substantial need for a step program in Colorado Springs,” Shay said.
Men who are seeking recovery can apply and be admitted into the program the same day they walk in. For more information, click here.
Copyright 2025 KKTV. All rights reserved.
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