Denver mayor suggests using Denver police to block mass deportations under Trump
Denver 7 News
With the incoming Trump administration promising mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston is facing scrutiny for recent comments he made, appearing to suggest hed use Denver police to block federal immigration officials from doing their job.
More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there, Johnston told Denverite in an interview. Its like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? Youd have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. And you do not want to mess with them.
Those comments were shared on social media and quickly went viral.
Some social media users said Johnston would be in violation of federal law. Others accused the mayor of trying to start a civil war.
Denver7 tried asking Johnston about his comments on Thursday morning after he left a holiday event, but he fled from reporters, saying he had to get to another event.
A staffer with the mayor said he had a busy schedule on Thursday. You can watch the moment they mayor flees from reporters in the video below.
The "Highland moms" the mayor referred to are the group of citizens who organized donation drives for immigrants when waves of them started showing up in Denver toward the end of last year.
Johnstons comments seemed to be well received in their private Facebook group.
I think the next four years will be a tough, tough four years. And I genuinely believe that it is a fight for all of us, said Gladis Ibarra, the co-executive director of the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition.
She said since Trumps win, immigrant families in Colorado are worried.
"He's made promises, and I think we should be prepared for those promises coming into some type of action, said Ibarra.
Ibarra said its important for state and local leaders to step up and defend immigrants in this moment.
We've seen our governor join forces with other governors to make sure that they protect democracy. I think the best way to do that is to show that we can hold the line here in Colorado and continue to be a leader in that way, said Ibarra. I would say the bare minimum is holding the line on the pieces of legislation they have passed, ensuring that those protections remain in place, that they are respected, and that there is accountability for any efforts to violate them.
Last week, Gov. Jared Polis and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker launched Governors Safeguarding Democracy, an initiative they said is committed to protecting state-level institutions of democracy amid increasing threats against American democracy including the dangers of authoritarianism and the undermining of democratic institutions.
"In this moment, protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level," Polis said. "Governors Safeguarding Democracy shows our shared dedication to defending the democratic principles upon which our country is built."
Ibarra said ordinary citizens can also step up to defend immigrants.
I think simple acts of solidarity go a long way, said Ibarra. The flags that are put out in solidarity when people see that they are welcome, they understand that this is a safe space for them. So, I would say those actions go a long way.
The Trump-Vance transition team did not respond directly to Johnstons comments, but said Trump was committed to his deportation plan.
Local and state officials on the frontlines of the Harris-Biden border invasion have been suffering for four years and are eager for President Trump to return to the Oval Office, said Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the transition team and the next White House Press Secretary. On day one, President Trump will marshal every lever of power to secure the border, protect their communities, and launch the largest mass deportation operation of illegal immigrant criminals in history.
Denver7 followed up with Johnstons office multiple times after he fled from reporters, but did not hear back on Thursday.