Amendment 81 (Constitutional)

Colorado law enforcement’s responsibility is to enforce Colorado law and protect public safety, not to serve as an arm of federal immigration enforcement. Initiative 95 would constitutionally require law enforcement, corrections personnel, and district attorney offices to investigate the immigration status of certain people charged with crimes and report them to federal authorities when their lawful status cannot be confirmed. This mandate could divert local resources, complicate relationships between immigrant communities and law enforcement, and entangle Colorado agencies in changing federal immigration policies. Cooperation with federal authorities in appropriate cases can be addressed through law and law-enforcement policy; it does not need to be permanently mandated in Colorado’s Constitution.