Denver, CO
Are Denver and Colorado sanctuary jurisdictions? What to know about the immigration laws.
As Denver Mayor Mike Johnston prepares to testify in Congress on March 5, many in Colorado and beyond are wondering just what the laws say about how state and local officials are to interact with the federal government on the enforcement of immigration laws.
On Jan. 27, Johnston was sent a letter by the U.S House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, stating that “Sanctuary jurisdictions and their misguided and obstructionist policies hinder the ability of federal law enforcement officers to effectuate safe arrests and remove dangerous criminals from American communities, making Americans less safe.”
The letter goes on to request Johnston’s in-person testimony and the turning over of documents and communications from Jan. 1, 2024, to the present day, related to the city’s alleged sanctuary status.
Since late 2023, Denver has spent more than $350 million on migrant services, as the city received and helped resettle more than 40,000 people from the southern border.
“We didn’t choose this outcome,” Johnston said, “When the governor of Texas decided to send 40,000 people on buses to Denver, we made sure we were going to serve them.”
While the city does not explicitly use the term “sanctuary” in any ordinances or proclamations, in 2017, the Denver City Council adopted its “Public Safety Enforcement Priorities Act.” It stipulates that no department or employee of the city “shall use any city funds or resources to assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws.” It states that city contracts related to enforcement of federal immigration laws are prohibited and the ordinance limits access to secure areas of city and county jails, “unless federal immigration authorities present a warrant issued by a federal judge or magistrate.”
In an interview with CBS News Colorado, Johnston said, “What that means for Denver is we do not ask someone’s immigration status. We don’t know your status, so we don’t share your status with other federal agencies. However, if the federal government, like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, identifies someone in our jails and wants to deport them or take action when they’re released, we notify them when the person is being released, and they can pick them up at that point.”
During the enforcement action on Feb. 5 at Cedar Run Apartments in Denver, Acting Director for ICE Caleb Vitello said, “Unfortunately we have to come to the communities because we don’t get the cooperation that we need from the jails. It would be so much easier and so much safer for our officers and agents if we can take these people into custody from a safe environment but if we have to come out into the community to do this, that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Johnston said that ICE did not contact the city ahead of the Feb. 5 raid at Cedar Run.
“Denver police and city authorities were not involved in these actions, nor were we given prior notice,” said Johnston. “But if they do send notice requests to the jail, we respond, and we’ve had a few over the last few weeks.”
A city statement published last month holds that “Denver has always given ICE officials a heads up if someone wanted for deportation proceedings is in their custody and told them the date and time of the person’s release…We are not opposed to the deportation of violent criminals who do not have a legal status to remain in the United States, but Coloradans must prepare for the possibility that ICE agents will be detaining fathers and mothers with no criminal history.”
It goes on to say that Denver police “will not detain people for ICE and will not support non-criminal immigration enforcement actions.”
In 2019, the Colorado legislature passed HB19-1124 to “Protect Colorado Residents From Federal Government Overreach.” The law allows local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement authorities in the execution of a warrant signed by a federal judge but prohibits law enforcement from arresting or detaining an individual solely on the basis of a civil immigration detainer.
A bill under consideration now by the legislature, SB25-047 seeks to reverse measures that limit enforcement of federal immigration law. “2547 helps ensure that criminals in Colorado who are unlawfully in the United States are turned over, or at least their presence alerted to federal immigration authorities,” said Sheriff Darren Weekly of Douglas County.
Douglas County filed a lawsuit in April 2024 challenging HB19-1124, as well as HB23-1100 which restricts state and local governments from participating in civil immigration detention. Other counties joining the suit included El Paso, Elbert, Garfield, Mesa and Rio Blanco.
In December 2024, a Denver district judge agreed with a state motion to dismiss the Douglas County claim, holding that Douglas County has not suffered injury and does not have standing. Douglas County is appealing the ruling.
“We want to be very, very clear. We support legal immigration. We don’t support illegal immigration,” said Commissioner and Board Chair Abe Laydon. “These laws prevent local governments from working with ICE to solve the national immigration crisis we’ve been experiencing. This inability to share critical public safety information puts our community at risk.”
Mayor Mike Coffman of Aurora has questioned neighboring city Denver’s policies of welcoming migrants, and the impact it has had on neighboring communities including his. Coffman said one of the nonprofits contracted by Denver to resettle migrants worked with a landlord to place them in three apartment buildings in Aurora, where police say Venezuelan gang members terrorized residents. The incidents there drew the attention of President Trump, who has promised to carry out mass deportations, or what he dubbed “Operation Aurora” during his visit to the city last October.
Coffman said Johnston has refused to say how many migrants were placed in Aurora, so he filed an open records request to obtain the contract the city signed with the nonprofit. He said the contract included a clause allowing the agency to put migrants in other cities without notifying them.
Now as President Trump has said he is dissatisfied with the pace of deportations, his “Border Czar” Tom Homan told Fox News, “Sanctuary cities [are] a sanctuary for criminals, bottom line. So, we’re going to do everything we can to find them. Regardless of what it takes, we got a strong president in the White House; he’s giving us all the authority we need. We’re coming.”
Paperboy
Denver is a city that loves to brunch and now, one of Austin’s top daytime spots has opened a location in the West Highland neighborhood. Paperboy’s third outpost is its first outside of its home state of Texas. The concept, which founder Rynan Harms started in a food trailer, has taken over the former home of Rooted Craft American Kitchen (and FNG before that).
“We love this neighborhood because it’s still close to downtown but has its own unique and relaxed vibe,” says Robert Brown, Harms’ longtime business partner, who has lived in Denver for nearly a decade. “People know their neighbors, they show up to community events, they’re invested in this place in a way that feels increasingly rare. That sense of connection is something Paperboy has always tried to foster, and we’re honored to be a part of it here in Denver.”
The menu includes staples such as the chicken and biscuit drizzled with spicy honey; Texas Hash with roasted pork, sweet potato, onion, kale, poached egg and pecan mole; and the Paperboy Pancake, described as “a cake-forward cornmeal pancake that still manages to be impossibly fluffy.”
Also now open is FiNO, the restaurant inside the revamped All Inn Hotel on East Colfax. We enjoyed our first meal there; if you’re planning to visit, don’t miss the signature martini, the Medi Nachos and the caper-studded charred cabbage.
On East Sixth Avenue, the powerhouse duo behind the city’s best new barbecue restaurant, Riot BBQ, has debuted Chicken Riot in the former Truffle Cheese Shop space. Meanwhile, the former Whiskey Biscuit in Englewood is now the Barn, a neighborhood eatery from a pair of longtime hospitality pros, including former Brider chef Chase Devitt.
Taqueria Los Gallitos has expanded once again, adding an eighth location in the former Taco John’s near the shuttered Denver Merchandise Mart.
And just in time for the Rockies home opener on Friday, April 3, McGregor Square has opened its revamped food hall. The former Milepost Zero moniker is out. Now, the space is dubbed McGregor Square Food & Drink and includes six food stalls from local eateries: Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta, C Burger, G-Que BBQ, High Point Creamery, TaCo! and Tora Ramen.
There’s just one closure to report this week: Ballyhoo Table & Stage, which actually shuttered last month after an eviction notice was posted.
In other openings and closings news:
Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week*:
Openings
The Barn South Broadway, 3299 South Broadway, Englewood
Chicken Riot, 2906 East Sixth Avenue
FiNO, 3015 East Colfax Avenue
McGregor Square Food & Drink, 1601 19th Street
Paperboy, 3940 West 32nd Avenue
Taqueria Los Gallitos, 5810 Logan Street
Closures
Ballyhoo Table & Stage, 3300 Tejon Street
*Or earlier and not previously reported.
Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.
Denver, Colo. (03/27/2026) – In front of another expected record-breaking crowd, the Washington Spirit is set to take on Denver Summit FC in the side’s inaugural home match at Empower Field at Mile High. With over 60,000 tickets already distributed, the match is poised to break the NWSL attendance record of 40,091 set last summer when the Spirit visited Bay FC at San Francisco’s Oracle Park. Kicking off at 2 p.m. EDT, the match will broadcast nationally on CBS.
The Spirit
Washington comes into this weekend’s fixture off a difficult 1-1 home draw with Utah Royals FC earlier this week. After scoring in the 18th minute, the Spirit nearly earned its first victory of 2026 but conceded an equalizer late and had to settle for a single point on the table. Washington’s goal was scored by midfielder Rebeca Bernal, the Mexican star’s first since transferring to the NWSL last year.
Saturday afternoon’s match will mark the first-ever meeting between the Spirit, one of the NWSL’s original clubs, and 2026 expansion side Denver Summit FC. Denver will be the 17th different opponent for Washington across its regular season history: the Spirit has played against 13 active clubs (all except expansion sides Denver and Boston) as well as defunct clubs the Boston Breakers, FC Kansas City and the Western New York Flash.
The Spirit has had success against expansion sides as of late, tallying 11 wins in 15 matches against NWSL clubs in their first season of competition since the start of the 2021 campaign. In 2024, the Spirit went a perfect 5-0-0 against Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, outscoring the teams 10-3 with a playoff win to boot. In 2022, Washington earned a 1-3-0 record against Angel City FC and San Diego Wave FC and, in 2021, the eventual NWSL champions went an impressive 5-1-0 against Kansas City and Racing Louisville FC.
This weekend’s matchup at Empower Field at Mile High, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is set to shatter the NWSL’s single match attendance record with over 60,000 tickets already distributed. The Spirit has also been the visiting team for two of the league’s previous three record-setting attendances: 34,130 fans at Seattle’s Lumen Field when the Spirit took on the Reign and 40,091 in the stands at San Francisco’s historic Oracle Park to watch Washington play Bay FC.
Washington is in good standing in several attacking categories through three matches despite two draws and a loss. The Spirit remains first in the league in rate of possession at nearly 62% and top three in both shots and shots on target with 49 and 17, respectively. With just three goals through three matches, look for the Spirit attack to continue getting attempts on frame this weekend.
Following Saturday’s match, the Spirit will hit the road again next weekend for an away match against Bay FC in San Jose on Sunday, April 5. Washington’s next home match will be on Friday, April 24 at 8 p.m. EDT when the side hosts the defending Shield winner Kansas City Current at Audi Field. Information on tickets can be found HERE.
The Opponent
Denver Summit FC opened its inaugural season with three straight away matches, collecting a win, a loss and a draw to carry four points into its home opener this weekend. Summit FC dropped its first match to Bay FC 1-2 before drawing Orlando 1-1 and beating Gotham 2-0.
Summit FC is led in scoring by star German forward Melissa Kössler who has three goals in three matches, scoring once in each contest. With a goal tomorrow, the forward would join Alex Morgan as just the second player in league history to score in each of her first four matches with a club. Look for the Spirit defending third to place an emphasis on limiting chances to Kössler on Saturday afternoon.
Denver has only allowed one goal across its last 240 minutes of action after giving up two in the first 30 minutes of the side’s opener. The strong recent form of Summit FC’s defending third against the Spirit attacking third’s ability to generate chance after chance will be a point to watch this weekend.
Three former Spirit players are currently on the Summit FC roster as midfielders Meg Boade and Jordan Baggett and defender Camryn Biegalski signed with the side ahead of this season. Baggett spent four years with the Spirit after being drafted by the side in 2019 while Biegalski signed with Washington in 2021 and played three seasons, both winning the 2021 NWSL Championship with the team. Boade spent the first half of the 2025 season in DC as a short-term injury replacement, even scoring a goal for the Spirit.
Following tomorrow’s match, Denver will travel to Seattle to face Reign FC on Saturday, April 4.
All-Time Series History
This weekend’s match will be the first-ever meeting between the Spirit and Denver Summit FC.
About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the premier professional women’s soccer team based in Washington, D.C. and plays at Audi Field in Buzzard Point. The Spirit was founded on November 21, 2012 and is an inaugural member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) the fastest growing sports league in the US. The club is home to some of the best players in the world who have won championships for both club and country. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are tipping off their second-to-last meeting of the 2025-26 season on Friday in the Mile High, where for the Jazz in particular, they’ll be dealing with several injuries headed into the matchup that’ll make them shorthanded once again.
Here’s what to expect on the injury front for both the Jazz and Nuggets on Friday night:
Utah Jazz Injury Report
OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)
OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)
OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)
OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)
OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)
OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)
PROBABLE – Kyle Filipowski (illness)
OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)
It’s a lot of the same for the Jazz when looking back at some of their recent injury reports, but there’s also some good news to note as well.
Second-year big man Kyle Filipowski, specifically, is trending up to play in Denver after dealing with an illness against the Washington Wizards; an issue that kept him sidelined for one game and left the Jazz’s frontcourt notably shorthanded for what would be a double-digit loss.
During his post-All-Star stretch, Filipowski has been averaging 13.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, along with 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks through 11 games.
He’s slotted in primarily as the Jazz’s starting center since both Walker Kessler and Jusuf Nurkic have been out with season-ending injuries, and has shown some nice flashes throughout.
However, outside of getting Filipowski back in the mix, the Jazz will still be without second-year guard Isaiah Collier, who continues to deal with hamstring soreness, and will also continue to be down Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen with their extended absences.
It remains to be seen if any of the latter two will be able to return at some point this season, but now with less than 10 games to go on the calendar before the offseason officially hits, the chances of either Markkanen or George coming back keep getting slimmer and slimmer.
For the extent either remains out, expect to see a good chunk of Ace Bailey being the primary scoring option as he has through his recent slate of games, along with an expanded role for their two-way and 10-day players down the bench who have gotten more minutes in recent weeks.
Denver Nuggets Injury Report
OUT – David Roddy (two-way)
OUT – KJ Simpson (two-way)
As for the Nuggets, their injury slate remains clean. The only names out will be a pair of their two way signings in David Roddy and KJ Simpsons, while the rest of their roster is slated to be active.
It’s a major change from what the Nuggets have been used to all season when factoring in their several injuries to key players lasting multiple weeks.
Nikola Jokic, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun, Aaron Gordon, and Peyton Watson have all missed significant time at one point or another this season, but against Utah, they’ll have all systems go as they roll into the game on a three-game win streak.
Tip-off between the Jazz and Nuggets lands at 7 p.m. MT in Ball Arena.
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