Posted March 26, 2026
Last week, two Democratic lawmakers joined Republicans on the Colorado House Judiciary Committee to kill a crucial bill protecting residents from federal law enforcement abuses. By siding with the very agencies terrorizing immigrant communities, Reps. Cecelia Espenoza and Chad Clifford chose to shield bad actors within law enforcement rather than defend the constitutional rights of the Coloradans who elected them.
The past few months have exposed a troubling reality: Colorado law enforcement officers are not adequately trained on the state’s own immigration laws. In June 2025, a Mesa County deputy tipped ICE via a Signal group chat following a traffic stop, leading to the detention of a 19-year-old student. Under Colorado law, local police cannot cooperate with federal immigration authorities without a warrant or court order. That deputy’s actions were a direct violation.
We are especially devastated that Representative Espenoza voted against protecting immigrants, knowing how deeply her own community lives with the fear this legislation sought to address.”
Gladis Ibarra, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition
Meanwhile, across the nation, ICE agents are sowing panic in our communities by disguising themselves as local authorities, using excessive force, and deploying unconstitutional tactics. HB26-1275 would have addressed this by ensuring Colorado officers are clearly identifiable, so that residents are not left to wonder who is detaining them. The bill would not have regulated federal agents. It would have simply ensured that Colorado’s own local law enforcement understands and follows Colorado law, and that officers are recognizable to the communities they serve.
The bill aimed to restore basic safety and accountability by:
- Prohibiting Colorado peace officers from concealing their identities, ensuring that when federal agents operate in our state.
- Explicitly allowing for state and local prosecution of federal law enforcement officers who violate Colorado state laws.
- Requiring local peace officers to intervene if they witness a federal agent using excessive force.
- Requiring careful vetting of those wishing to be employed by law enforcement in the state of Colorado.
- Mandating critical training for local law enforcement on Colorado’s immigration laws, appropriate use of force, and the specific provisions of the bill to ensure safe and lawful interactions for all.
On the same day, Democratic Representatives Javier Mabrey, Michael Carter, Yara Zokaie, Lorena Garcia, Jennifer Bacon, and Chad Clifford voted to advance HB26-1276, an immigrant protection bill sponsored by Representatives Elizabeth Velasco and Lorena Garcia. The legislation aims to prevent the use of public transit and airports in federal deportation operations, hold public employers accountable when agency employees violate state immigration laws, and increase oversight of immigration detention facilities. It also seeks to establish greater transparency in law enforcement operations. Voting no were Republican Representatives Matt Soper, Rebecca Keltie, Scott Slaugh, and Ava Flanell, joined by Democratic Representative Cecelia Espenoza.
Rep. Espenoza, who voted no on both immigration bills, is from a Denver district that is home to many immigrant families. This vote is a betrayal of the very people she was elected to represent.
“We are especially devastated that Representative Espenoza voted against protecting immigrants, knowing how deeply her own community lives with the fear this legislation sought to address,” said Gladis Ibarra, Co-Executive Director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition. “Caring about the families in her district, who are terrorized by federal overreach, means showing up. It means coming to the table and working to make this bill right and stronger. She did none of that. By refusing to do the work, she chose to leave her own constituents vulnerable to armed federal agents.”
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