Know Your Rights and How to Support Immigrant Communities in Colorado

As ICE continues to terrorize communities across Colorado and across the country, it is crucial that people understand the rights everyone has when encountering or documenting ICE activity and the many ways we can support and protect our immigrant communities.

We want to elevate up-to-date, trusted information from the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), We Keep Us Safe Colorado, the City and County of Denver and other sources.

Know Your Rights When Interacting With ICE

Remember that you have constitutional rights, regardless of immigration status. Among them are:

• You have the right to remain silent and do not have to answer questions about your immigration status, where you were born, or how you entered the United States.

• You do not have to open your door unless ICE presents a judicial warrant signed by a judge.

• You can ask if you are free to leave. If the answer is yes, you may calmly walk away.

• You should not sign anything without speaking to a lawyer.

• You have the right to speak with an attorney before answering questions.

Read more here.

How to Report ICE activity or Get Help

If ICE activity is occurring in your community or someone needs immediate support, call the Colorado Rapid Response Network’s 24/7, bilingual hotline at 1-844-864-8341.

The hotline is operated by the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and can:

Document ICE activity

Connect families with trusted legal and community resources

Deploy trained community responders when available

If you witness misconduct by ICE or other federal agents, you can report it to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office here.

How to Support Our Immigrant Communities

There are many ways to support immigrant neighbors and families in Colorado.

Consider donating your time, talents or money to trusted organizations like:

• Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC)

• We Keep Us Safe Colorado

• Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network

• International Rescue Committee (IRC), Denver

• Justice and Mercy Legal Aid Center

• Catholic Charities of Denver and Central Colorado

• Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund

• Immigrant Freedom Fund

• Voces Unidas

Colorado-Specific Protections

Colorado has enacted a series of laws that limit how and when state and local agencies can cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.

Take a minute to read this helpful article from Colorado Public Radio, these laws were passed to make communities safer, protect due process and ensure that local resources are focused on public safety rather than civil immigration enforcement. Key protections under Colorado law include:

Limits on local law enforcement cooperation with ICE

Under HB19-1124, state and local law enforcement cannot arrest or detain someone solely based on immigration status, hold someone past their release time for ICE, or share information about a person’s immigration status with federal authorities. Officers may assist with enforcement only when presented with a warrant issued by a judge.

Further restrictions on state employee cooperation

SB21-131 limits state employees from assisting immigration enforcement by preventing the state from collecting or disclosing personal identifying information to ICE, except when required by law or a court.

No civil immigration arrests at courthouses

SB20-083 prohibits arrests for civil offenses in or around courthouses or while someone is traveling to or from court. While not specific to immigration, the law’s effect is to keep ICE enforcement out of courthouses and protect access to the justice system.

Access to legal support in immigration court

Colorado has allocated state funding to support organizations that provide legal representation to people facing immigration proceedings who could not otherwise afford an attorney.

These protections are designed to uphold due process, keep families together and promote public safety.