Advocates, Mayor Johnston push back against Trump’s mass deportation plan

DENVER, Colorado — President-elect Donald Trump could redefine current immigration in the United States. He talked extensively about what his plans are including mass deportations, using the military and National Guard to carry out the effort. Trump has said his goal is to remove 12 million people from the United States without authorization. 

While at a rally in Colorado, he told the crowd that he would start the effort in Aurora and would undertake an effort called “Operation Aurora” that would remove gang members specifically. 

Trump’s campaign promises have put the immigrant community on edge and wondering if he would also target those who have entered the country legally or have some form of status. 

“It definitely is a somber day for immigrants,” said Nayda Benitez, Director of Community Organizing at the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC).  “As an immigrant myself, and I grew up undocumented in Colorado, and most of my family is undocumented, I am weary obviously not just because this is an issue our coalition deeply works on, but just because of what we saw on the campaign trail and the efforts to severely ramp up immigration enforcement.”

Benitez and the organization point immigrants to resources such as the Colorado Rapid Response Network, a 24-hour hotline formed between a partnership with CIRC and other organizations in Colorado. The hotline offers legal guidance and resources to respond to ICE activities across the state, such as deportation proceedings or detainment. 

“In the case that a family faces separation or faces removal or deportation, they are able to use this resource to prepare and obviously, we really do want to prevent people from getting detained,” Benitez said. 

Benitez said Coloradans can find some relief in living in a state that has prioritized and protected immigrant rights. Benitez believes other states will be looking to Colorado as one of the states that is pro-immigrant and offers the most protections across the country. 

In the next Presidential term, Benitez said it will be on advocates and local officials to defend the policies set in place. 

“I think it is going to be really important here for local elected officials, for legislators, for Congressional representatives and Senators to make sure that we are strengthening the firewall as much as possible,” Benitez said. 

While Denver Mayor Mike Johnston isn’t sure if Trump will make good on his promises or if they were just campaign rhetoric, Johnston said he wasn’t sure Denver would cooperate. 

“We are not going to open up our city boundaries to any state or federal agents that come in and take people out of their homes and try to deport them without cause, so we think that we are prepared to work together to make sure that folks are successful,” Mayor Johnston said. “We don’t know what the president has planned. We will be happy to partner on things that make sense, but we are not going to partner on things we think are an infringement on people’s rights.” 

Johnston is encouraging people to apply to immigration programs like asylum or other services now. Johnston said the city wants to connect people with those services in case there are “changes to programming after January.” 

While Trump has vowed to use the military and National Guard, Johnston referenced that the large majority of law enforcement officers are local law enforcement such as police and deputies, which do not operate under the control of the federal government or president.