Amendment 81Constitutional amendment · Citizen initiative
Police immigration notices
Explain it like I'm 5
Police would try to find the immigration status of people charged with certain serious crimes. If they cannot find out, they would tell federal immigration officials.
Yes vote
Law enforcement must notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security within 72 hours in specified cases when immigration status cannot be determined.
No vote
Current Colorado rules on sharing immigration information remain in place.
The question to ask yourself
Should local police alert federal immigration officials before a person has been convicted?
The case for
- May help federal officials identify people accused of violent crimes or people with prior felony convictions.
- Creates one statewide reporting rule for these cases.
- Requires notice, not a new local power to arrest or deport people.
Backed by: Advance Colorado, Republican Party of Colorado, Independence Institute
The case against
- It applies at the charging stage, before a conviction, raising due-process concerns.
- People whose status cannot quickly be confirmed could be reported, including some lawful residents or citizens.
- Immigrant victims and witnesses may become less willing to cooperate with police.
Opposed by: League of Women Voters of Colorado, ACLU of Colorado, Democratic Party of Colorado, Colorado Education Association, The Bell Policy Center
- Money
- The official estimate is about $60,000 for state system updates, with no direct tax increase.
- Don't be misled
- It is misleading to say this applies only to people convicted of violent crimes, because it also covers certain charges and prior felony convictions.