During an interview with Denver’s 9NEWS on Monday, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said that churches “have to be off-limits for ICE actions” and it’s possible churches in the state will provide sanctuary for people trying to avoid ICE.
Johnston stated, “For us, it’s first important that all of these what we call secure places, churches, schools, hospitals, we think these places have to be off-limits for ICE actions. They’ve historically been so. There’s been bipartisan support for that idea.”
Later, host Kyle Clark asked, “I remember, during the Obama administration, when there were a lot of deportations during the Obama administration, you had people taking shelter in churches in Colorado. What would you think about people taking shelter in government buildings? If they see the city of Denver truly as a sanctuary, maybe some political activist, maybe somebody within your own city government, maybe another elected official wants to make a point and have somebody inside a city of Denver building to shield them from ICE.”
Johnston answered that he doesn’t think that’s likely to happen and “Do I think that churches around the state will step in and try to provide sanctuary, again, if folks need it? I think that’s likely — or possible. We don’t anticipate doing that with city buildings.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.