Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman says Colorado law could complicate Trump's mass deportation plan
Less than two months after President-elect Donald Trump announced "Operation Aurora" -- a.k.a. operation mass deportation -- Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman says he shouldn't expect much help in Colorado.
"At this point, there's really nothing we can do -- there's nothing to prepare for -- because we really have no authority," Coffman said.
It's against state law for local law enforcement in Colorado to cooperate with federal immigration agents. While Douglas County and El Paso County have challenged the law in court, unless it's overturned, Coffman says Trump will be on his own in the Centennial State.
"I want to cooperate in every way I possibly can and I hope those restrictions are lifted, but it's not my position that we ought to be doing the job of immigration officials."
Trump's "border czar" pick, Tom Homan, has said the federal government will prioritize deporting noncitizens with criminal histories. U.S. Immigration and Customs says there are about 660,000 of those individuals in the country.
While Colorado law enforcement can't assist, Coffman says Trump may bring in help from other states.
"What we know so far -- limited information -- is that the president-elect is looking at county sheriffs across the country and enlisting them for support," he said.
Coffman says he supports deporting criminals but he's worried Trump won't stop there. Salvadorans make up one of the largest immigrant communities in Aurora and he says most of them have temporary legal status like Dreamers. He says Trump could end that protection.
"I think they're very concerned," he said. "I'm optimistic that the President is seeking leverage to negotiate immigration reform... but in order to have leverage in the negotiation, he's got to put a very tough face on what could be a fairly dramatic mass deportation."
Coffman says he hasn't talked with the Trump administration about its immigration plans but, he insists, its focus on Aurora is misplaced. The President-elect announced "Operation Aurora" after a video showing men with guns in an Aurora apartment building went viral.
Police say the men were Venezuelan gang members. Coffman says Aurora is paying the price for Denver's "sanctuary city" policies, which he says led to migrants -- including the gang members -- being bused to Colorado.
He accused Denver Mayor Mike Johnston of "human dumping," saying he placed migrants in Aurora apartment complexes without the city's knowledge. Johnston spokesperson Jordan Fuja denied that, saying "Denver is proud to have supported 43,000 newcomers, many of whom were bused here by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott despite having no desire to stay in our city or state. We did not place newcomers in Aurora or any city for that matter. Though Denver has been mostly left to deal with this crisis alone, we have always tried to act as good neighbors and we will continue to do so in the future."
Coffman doesn't buy it. He has filed an open records request after he says Johnston refused to turn over information about the city's handling of migrants, including contracts with nonprofits in charge of housing them.
