City and County of Denver, CO

07/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/15/2025 13:37

Denver Sues Trump Administration to Protect Separation of Powers

Denver Sues Trump Administration to Protect Separation of Powers

Published on July 15, 2025

The City and County of Denver today announced it has joined dozens of counties and cities in suing the Trump Administration over its unlawful and unconstitutional threats to withhold funding from so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions" that limit local enforcement of federal immigration law. The lawsuit was filed this week in Federal District Court in the Northern District of California.

"Even as President Trump continues to willfully ignore the rule of law by bullying cities into doing his dirty work, Denver will always stay true to our values," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "Time and time again, Denver has showed that we enforce the law without fear or favor and work with federal authorities to bring criminals to justice. We will continue to stand up for what Denverites believe in and fight for the federal funding that our residents deserve."

During his first term in office, President Trump sought to force local law enforcement to enact federal immigration enforcement by withholding federal funds, and federal courts consistently struck down those funding restrictions.

On the first day of his second term, he illegally and unconstitutionally signed multiple executive orders directing his administration to withhold federal payments to what they call "sanctuary jurisdictions," a term that has no definition. These actions not only violate the law but also aim to force local governments to abandon their constitutionally protected autonomy and independence or face a devastating loss of federal funding.

This is Denver's fourth lawsuit against the Trump Administration. Last month, the Cityjoined dozens of jurisdictions to protect hundreds of millions of dollars in allocated transportation funding. The City alsojoined Chicago and Pima County, Arizona in seeking to recover $24 million in FEMA dollars allocated for the purpose of sheltering and assisting migrants.

The City also sued the Trump Administration to preserve crucial funding used to detect and prevent large-scale security threats. Following the lawsuit's filing, the Trump Administration reinstated funding and reimbursed Denver for everything owed, allowing the city to restart critical training and make necessary equipment repairs.

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City and County of Denver, CO published this content on July 15, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 15, 2025 at 19:37 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io