Denver Files Motion to Dismiss Trump Lawsuit

Denver Files Motion to Dismiss Trump Lawsuit

Published on August 26, 2025

The City and County of Denver today announced it has moved to dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Trump Administration, which attempts to force Denver into assisting the federal government in its goal of mass deportation.

In May, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Mayor Mike Johnston and other state and local officials on grounds that Colorado and Denver law impede federal immigration enforcement. The city today filed a motion to dismiss the suit on the basis that Denver laws do no such thing and that the federal government has no right or ability to compel local municipalities into helping it achieve its political objectives.

"We're not sure if they don't understand the laws or just don't want to follow them, but Denver has never violated federal statute," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "We're not changing our laws, we're not changing our values, and we're not backing down from this meritless lawsuit. The federal government will not be successful in bullying Denver into doing its job for them."

Denver's Public Safety Enforcement Priorities Act was passed in 2017 to ensure the city's limited resources were not put toward civil immigration enforcement, which is a federal responsibility. As the city does not collect information related to a person's immigration status, it is not able to provide it upon request. Denver continues to work with the federal government to both arrest and prosecute violent criminals. Denver also provides notice to ICE upon request when inmates are released from jail, but cannot hold inmates past their release date.

Last month, a federal judge dismissed a similar suit against Chicago and Illinois on the grounds of the Tenth Amendment, which states that all powers not given to the federal government are granted to the states or to the people.

Denver has filed four lawsuits against the Trump Administration to challenge the unlawful withholding of grant funds owed to Denver, and to resist the Trump Administration's coercive efforts to force Denver to sign on to discriminatory and politically motivated grant terms.

• This summer, the city joined dozens of jurisdictions to protect hundreds of millions of dollars in allocated transportation funding. A preliminary injunction was later granted.

• The city also joined Chicago and Pima County, Arizona in seeking to recover $24 million in FEMA dollars allocated for the purposes of sheltering and assisting migrants.

• In July, Denver joined dozens of counties and cities in suing over unconstitutional threats to withhold funding from so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions." Denver received a favorable ruling in that case on Friday.

• Denver also sued the Trump Administration to preserve critical funding used to detect and prevent large-scale security threats. The Trump Administration reimbursed the city for promised funds following the lawsuit's filing.

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