FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT: Karen Orona, Communications Manager with the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, (303) 489-1809, karen.o@coloradoimmigrant.org
Immigrant Advocates Condemn Mesa County Lawsuit Against SB25-276: “This is a Dangerous Step Backwards for Community Trust and Safety.”
Denver, CO – Today, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, an immigrant rights advocacy organization based in Colorado, issued a strong response to the lawsuit filed by Mesa County challenging Senate Bill 25-276, the state’s critical law protecting immigrant communities from unlawful collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
“The lawsuit filed by Mesa County is not just legally misguided, it is morally reprehensible,” said Gladis Ibarra, Co-Executive Director of CIRC. “Senate Bill 276 was carefully crafted to uphold constitutional rights and community safety. This lawsuit seeks to undo progress and reinstate a pattern of racial profiling, fear, and illegal coordination with ICE.” This case has no legal merit, it’s a transparent attempt to avoid accountability for violating Colorado’s laws.
For years, immigrant communities in Colorado, particularly on the Western Slope, have suffered from secretive and unlawful cooperation between local sheriffs and federal immigration agencies. These actions have not only violated individuals’ constitutional rights but have also deeply eroded trust between law enforcement and the very communities they are sworn to protect.
“Let’s be clear. The collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE without proper legal authority has already caused irreparable harm,” added Ibarra. “It discourages immigrant victims from reporting crimes, separates families without due process, and fosters a climate of fear. This lawsuit is a blatant attempt to roll back accountability and transparency.”
Senate Bill 25-276 reaffirms Colorado’s longstanding commitment to due process and ensures that all residents, regardless of immigration status, are protected from warrantless detention and unlawful information-sharing practices. Mesa County’s challenge to SB 25-276 represents a fringe effort to undermine state authority, promote racial discrimination, and return to a failed system of mass deportation and family separation. CIRC stands firmly with immigrant communities in rejecting this regressive lawsuit and urges the courts to uphold the constitutionality of SB 276. Immigrant advocates applaud the Attorney General’s office for bringing the action to ensure our state’s law enforcement are in compliance with Colorado law.
“We call on state leaders, law enforcement agencies, and Coloradans across the state to reject this dangerous narrative,” concluded Ibarra. “We will not allow fear-mongering and political stunts to strip our neighbors of their dignity, safety, or rights.”