During an interview with Denver’s 9News on Wednesday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston stated that the city isn’t looking to change its ordinance that doesn’t allow ICE to arrest people in jails in the wake of an incident where there was a suspected gang member who ICE said assaulted ICE agents after he was released from Denver’s custody.
Johnston said, “[W]e’re not looking to change city ordinance. But if there’s something we can change in terms of how or where or when people are released, we’re open to see what policy to change.”
Host Kyle Clark then asked why ICE officers shouldn’t be given access to jails.
Johnston responded that, up until this incident, there hasn’t been an issue, “and so we’ve seen that our system has worked, quite efficiently.”
Clark then cut in to say that ICE wants to be able to arrest people in jail.
Johnston responded, “[I]f you do it inside public spaces in the jail, then you have folks trying to get detained in the lobby. Our city ordinance does not allow us to hand them over in custody. And so, what they’re saying is, hand them over to us in handcuffs. Our city ordinance doesn’t do that.”
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