Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a new executive order Thursday aimed at addressing residents’ concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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During a press conference, Johnston announced that he plans to sign Executive Order 152. The measure threatens to arrest ICE agents who use excessive force and directs local police to protect peaceful protests. The order also bans ICE agents from city property and encourages private business owners to do the same.
“This is the time when it is easy to be afraid, afraid for your family, afraid for your neighbor, afraid for your country,” Johnston said. “I understand that fear, and I also know that in Denver, we have proven time and time again that we are stronger than any obstacle we face.”
Johnston also pledged full investigations and prosecutions of any ICE encounters that result in injury or death.
The number of ICE agents has surged in many cities, but Johnston pointed to two high-profile deaths in Minneapolis as motivation for the order.
During the press conference, Johnston highlighted the city’s history and resilience, including the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.
“The Justice Center across this plaza bears the name of Ralph Carr, a Republican governor who opposed the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, in a moment when some and a moment when some in America mistakenly believed that dividing us was the only way to make us safer,” Johnston said.
Johnston added that the goal of the order was not to provoke, but to protect the city.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
