Telepeer

Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit against Colorado and Denver over immigration laws

March 31, 2026

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the Trump administration’s attempt to overturn “sanctuary” laws enacted by Denver and Colorado that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

U.S. District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher ruled in the 13-page opinion that federal authorities could not compel officials in Denver or at the state level “to implement federal regulatory programs.” He rejected the federal government’s attempt to strike down the city’s and the state’s rules limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement, and he fully dismissed the lawsuit, which was filed in May, less than four months after President Donald Trump returned to office.

“This lawsuit by the Trump administration was a straightforward attack on Colorado’s sovereignty,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement. He was one of the named defendants in the suit, alongside Gov. Jared Polis, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, the city of Denver, the state of Colorado, and other prominent officials.

“The 10th Amendment protects states’ rights to make our own decisions about how our personnel protect public safety,” Weiser said. “In the order, the court makes it clear that the federal government cannot force states and local governments to use their resources for federal civil immigration enforcement.”

Polis’ office did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday afternoon. The Justice Department did not immediately issue a response to the ruling.

In a statement, Johnston said that “Denver will always stand for safe communities and accountable government.”

“Instead of being bullied by President Trump, we will continue to do what we do best in making our neighborhoods safer, strengthening trust with the community, and delivering for Denver families,” the mayor wrote.

The dismissal was a victory for Colorado’s top elected officials and for the immigration policies they’ve enacted and strengthened in recent years — which federal officials have derided as so-called sanctuary laws that shield immigrants from federal enforcement.

Those laws generally prohibit state and local officials from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents or allowing the use of state resources for civil immigration enforcement.

Indeed, just as the Trump administration was filing its lawsuit last spring, the legislature passed a new law that further curtailed cooperation with ICE. The federal government then amended its lawsuit to include the new statute. State lawmakers are considering new measures to tighten those rules even further this year.

In its lawsuit, the DOJ challenged four statewide laws — including the one passed last year — as well as two municipal laws in Denver. The Trump administration had argued that the immigration powers granted to the federal government preempted those local limitations and that the laws had “singled out federal immigration officials … for unfavorable and uncooperative treatment.”

Colorado and Denver officials asked Gallagher to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the federal government couldn’t use city and state resources to carry out immigration enforcement. Denver city officials wrote in court filings that the lawsuit “has no basis in law, logic, or policy. It is nothing more than political theater.”

Echoing rulings from federal judges elsewhere, Gallagher, who is based in Colorado, wrote that “the Constitution does not grant Congress the authority to ‘dragoon’ state officers into administering federal law.”

The federal government has filed similar lawsuits against other states and cities that limit federal immigration cooperation. A federal judge in Illinois dismissed litigation targeting Chicago and the state of Illinois last year, while cases against officials in California and Los Angeles; New York City; New Jersey; and elsewhere are still winding through the courts.

Orange County Register

News Details

Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit against Colorado and Denver over immigration laws

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS