A joint resolution affirming lawmakers’ “commitment to Coloradans navigating the complex United States immigration system” sparked more than three hours of debate on the House Floor on Tuesday morning, reflecting the tension rising between Colorado and the Trump administration, which has traded barbs and lawsuits, underpinned by the former’s campaign to crackdown on illegal immigration and the latter’s “sanctuary” policies.

At the outset, Colorado’s Democratic officials have signaled a confrontational stance vis-a-vis the Trump administration — the attorney general last month announced the launch of an online “tool” for Coloradans to report misconduct by federal agents, while the city of Denver is considering barring the wearing of masks by law enforcers.

Republicans pushed back at the resolution, which Democrats sponsored, particularly over its mention of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

The two died — weeks apart — after they were shot by federal immigration agents conducting enforcement operations in Minneapolis. Both Good and Pretti have ties to Colorado. The Trump administration and Democrats have offered competing narratives on their deaths.

Tuesday’s resolution seeks to condemn the actions federal immigration agents and the Trump White House, which supporters said have contributed to “increased fear, confusion, and racial profiling of Black and brown Coloradans, disproportionately impacting immigrants and African, Caribbean, Latin American, Middle Eastern, and Asian communities in Colorado.”

“To the people of Colorado and to people across this country who are in mourning every day, when you see your streets militarized, when you see fear replace safety, we want you to know, we hear you, we see you,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, who sponsored the resolution along with Sens. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, and Mike Weissman, D-Aurora, and Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora.

Joseph, who immigrated to the United States from Haiti, accused the Trump administration of “terrorizing our friends, our neighbors, our families … people who cross borders in search of dignity, safety, and life.”

Immigrants are “essential to the strength of Colorado,” added Ricks, who immigrated to the U.S. from Liberia as a child.

“They are workers, parents, caregivers, entrepreneurs, and neighbors, and they deserve to be treated with the same dignity and value that they give to our state.”

The federal government hasn’t passed any comprehensive immigration policy since the 1988 Amnesty Program signed into law by former President Ronald Reagan, Ricks noted.

“A pathway to citizenship, or at the very least a lawful way for people to work and live here, is long overdue,” she said. “We urge our federal delegation to do something about this. Take action.”

Rep. Carlos Barron, R-Fort Lupton, who also spoke about his experience as an immigrant from Mexico, emphasized legal immigration.

“The conversation around immigration is deeply personal to me,” he said. “I know firsthand the pride, responsibility, and contributions that immigrants bring to our community.”

“I truly believe in legal immigration, and I push that for everybody,” he said. “I’m not trying to push away immigrants. I’m trying to emphasize the importance of becoming a part of this great nation.”

Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough Park, said the state has imposed a number of financial burdens on Colorado taxpayers over the years to cover the costs of social programs for immigrants illegally staying in the U.S.

“Real compassion does not mean ignoring the consequences of policy,” Bradley said. “It does not mean importing chaos and calling it kindness, and it certainly does not mean forcing working families in Colorado to absorb unlimited costs without their consent.”

She added: “Since 2019, this legislature has enacted bill after bill expanding taxpayer-funded benefits to people who are in this country illegally. Meanwhile, Colorado families are struggling with soaring housing costs, high energy bills, rising insurance premiums, and declining affordability.”

The state and local governments have allocated tens of millions of dollars to cope with the influx of some 40,000 immigrants who came the state in the last few years after illegally crossing the southern borders. Many came from Venezuela. While Denver, for example, has received some state and federal funding, its taxpayers have assumed the bulk of the nearly $90 million cost to house, feed and transport the immigrants. 

Bus, plane and train tickets purchased for immigrants to travel elsewhere suggested that about half have stayed. That’s the equivalent of adding a city the size of Golden. 

Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration partly in response to what happened in Colorado, in particularly after reports that a Venezuelan gang took over several apartment buildings in Aurora.

The resolution passed on a near-party-line vote, with one notable exception: Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, accidentally voted against the measure, causing an uproar among some advocates. After a brief recess, the House reconvened and Duran apologized for her mistake, saying she would have never voted against the resolution.

Duran said she is the daughter of first-generation immigrants who marched with Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.

“I’m a proud Latina and proud to support all of the issues that we’ve discussed today and the issues coming forward,” she said.

The measure, along with other proposals, comes amid speculation that Colorado could be next on the Trump administration’s target, given the tension between the White House and the state, which has adopted “sanctuary” policies that bar cooperation between federal agents and local officers on immigration matters.

At the outset, Colorado’s Democratic officials have signaled a confrontational stance vis-a-vis the Trump administration — the attorney general last month announced the launch of an online “tool” for Coloradans to report misconduct by federal agents, while the city of Denver is considering barring the wearing of masks by law enforcers.

Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on a bill that would provide individuals injured during an immigration enforcement operation the avenue to sue federal agents in state court.