During the April 2 discussion of a draft ‘Non-Sanctuary County’ resolution at the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners’ work session, we heard mention of the rumor that Denver and other overwhelmed ‘Sanctuary Cities’ and ‘Sanctuary Counties’ want to ship busloads of illegal immigrants to other Colorado communities.
That rumor was repeated by Archuleta County Sheriff Mike Le Roux, during his endorsement of a proposed draft ‘Non-Sanctuary County’ resolution, which the Sheriff felt would be helpful in discouraging uninvited migrants.
Commissioner Ronnie Maez thanked the Sheriff for his comments.
“I appreciate your support in this issue, because it does need to be addressed. And it needs to be clarified. We have limited resources here… It’s unlikely that we will get some [immigrants from Denver]. Even in the likelihood, we should be prepared. You just never know.”
Sheriff Le Roux:
“Absolutely. It’s a mind set, and it’s the position of Archuleta County. We know that certain counties around the state, that haven’t asked for that ‘decentralization’ process to occur. And they’ve received multiple busloads of people, even as nearby as Fremont County…”
The impact of busloads of homeless immigrants, arriving in Archuleta County, would certainly have a serious impact on our community. But maybe things aren’t always what they seem. Sheriff Le Roux might be referring to a certain situation in the Fremont County’s county seat, Cañon City, where citizens are fearful… but perhaps needlessly so?
As reported in the Denver Visitor in late February:
Cañon City Mayor Preston Troutman has heard similar concerns from his constituents. They also shared with him that Monument recently voted to affirm its status as a non-sanctuary city. Troutman reached out to the mayor of Monument to get a resolution that he plans to share with the city council.
He received a photo from a resident of some men being dropped off from a white van at Macon Plaza on Nov. 22, believing that illegal immigrants were being unloaded.
“After our research was done, they weren’t necessarily illegal immigrants, they were homeless people that were dropped off here,” Troutman said. “It’s a difference without a distinction; it’s the same thing.”
Cañon City Police Commander Tim Bell confirmed Monday that the individuals were homeless, not immigrants, and were dropped off by a church van.
Law enforcement responded to Macon Plaza and made contact with two of the people who were dropped off. Bell said there was no crime committed and therefore, no action was taken.
He also confirmed that up to this point, the police department is not seeing any immigrants being dropped off here.
According to that report, Mayor Troutman doesn’t want the Cañon City community to be alarmed or panic, but he admits, “We no longer live in Mayberry.”
When I moved to Pagosa Springs in 1993 with my family, we rented a tiny, run-down cabin, and I suppose — in a sense — we could have been considered ‘migrants’, coming from a foreign place like Alaska. But Pagosa was bit like Mayberry, back then, and we felt welcomed by our neighbors.
The community’s business and political leaders, however, were not content with Mayberry as a civic model, and they convinced themselves, and many of the rest of us, that inviting endless population growth was the only way to improve Pagosa’s economic status.
But let’s get back to Tuesday’s discussion of the ‘Non-Sanctuary County’ resolution proposed by Commissioner Warren Brown, which both Sheriff Le Roux and Commissioner Maez seemed to be endorsing.
Commissioner Veronica Medina, attending the work session via telephone:
“Sheriff Le Roux, as we discussed this morning, there are laws that prevent you from arresting illegal immigrants based on their status. Now, if they commit a crime, you can. But if there were an influx, and they were just here, and they didn’t commit any crimes, would you be able to do anything?”
I think we can safely assume that, in fact, some undocumented immigrants already live in Archuleta County, and perhaps work in our local businesses. But it doesn’t seem to be a serious problem at this point?
Sheriff Le Roux:
“State statute prohibits us from arresting immigrants [based solely on lack of documentation]… in 2019, it was put in place that we couldn’t, and then as of this year, there were further parameters put in place. Immigration status is not ‘probable cause’ for an arrest. We’re prohibited by law to make that arrest. We’re also prohibited from entering into any agreement with ICE [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] or Homeland Security.
“The County is not able to sell property to create detention centers. So there’s a whole bunch of prohibitions on illegal immigration status.
“We’re here to enforce the laws of Colorado, so we will do just that…”
Commissioner Warren Brown, attending via telephone, noted that the laws and policies around immigration in Colorado have served the generally more progressive Front Range cities, and may not fully serve Colorado’s generally more conservative rural communities. “I just think it’s a bad policy to wait until there’s a problem, to wait and fix it.”
It might seem, from that statement, that Commissioner Brown is trying to fix a problem that doesn’t actually exist.
Commissioner Medina:
“I’m all about being proactive. But I just see this as a piece of paper, with no true value, because in the same breath that we’re saying we’re not a sanctuary county, it says we encourage Archuleta County resident to volunteer, donate, contribute to the Newcomer Fund… which is kind of counter-productive if we are saying we don’t want newcomers…no, I mean, illegal immigrants…an influx of them. Yet, we’re encouraging them. And according to my conversation with Sheriff Le Roux this morning, there is money available to non-profits to help shelter, clothe, and feed illegal immigrants…”
Here’s the paragraph in the draft resolution that Commissioner Medina was referring to:
6. Archuleta County encourages willing and interested county residents to volunteer, donate essential items, or contribute to the Newcomer Fund, which supports nonprofit and government organizations that are providing necessary services to the incoming migrant population arriving in Colorado, including food, clothing, and medical needs; emergency shelter; employment opportunities; and wraparound support.
Commissioner Medina:
“What is it we’re trying to say? I just feel like this is a “feel-good” [resolution]. I don’t see that it has value, if we really want to do something productive and make a change and let our voice be heard. I think we should get together with other counties who have done this, and let’s present something to the President…
“I personally do not think [Governor Polis] is going to look at the counties that have done these resolutions, and say, ‘Oh, these are non-sanctuary counties. We can’t send them there…’
“They don’t care. They’re going to send them wherever they can send them. But if Sheriff Le Roux cannot arrest illegal immigrants solely on their status, then I just don’t think this resolution has value.”