Dear Honorable Members of the Colorado State Legislature:
Together Colorado is a nonpartisan, multi-racial and multi-faith statewide organization working to place human dignity at the center of public life in Colorado. We are writing to express our unequivocal support for HB23-1100: Restrict Government Involvement in Immigration Detention.
All people deserve to live a life of dignity and respect, with the opportunity to build our lives surrounded by friends, family, and community. Our government has a responsibility to ensure families live in safety, regardless of race or national origin. But today in Colorado, our immigrant communities live in fear of detention and deportation from CBP and ICE. The traumatizing impact of detention on our families and communities cannot be overstated. We know, from the experiences of beloved members of our congregations, that those in detention are deprived of access to family and community. This bill will end new privatized detention centers in Colorado which are often the source of great suffering for families. It is nearly impossible to navigate applying for asylum or other protections while in detention. Furthermore, immigrant communities live in fear of local law enforcement because of local collaboration with ICE and CBP.
The bill HB23-1100 will alleviate some of the harms imposed on our immigrant community by CBP and ICE. Local law enforcement will cease cooperating with CBP and ICE, enabling immigrants to live in dignity and safety without fear of governmental abuse. This will increase trust in law enforcement and ensure that people can visit their detained family members without fear. The bill will also end new privatized detention centers in Colorado, ensuring that these cruel institutions do not spread across our state.
We urge you to support HB23-1100 with your vote. Please also take the time to advocate for this legislation with fellow legislators and constituents, emphasizing its importance to faith communities throughout Colorado.
Our many faith traditions call upon us to take care of each other, especially newcomers, and we all have sacred stories of migration and finding a new home. This is true in diverse religions as well as in indigenous traditions. No matter what nation or faith they come from, every person is entitled to pursue their dreams, ascending beyond walls and borders. Representing various faith traditions, Jewish, Christian, Unitarian, and more – we believe that all of Colorado’s residents, regardless of how they worship, what they look like, who they love, or what’s in their wallet, deserve dignity, respect, and safety. Passage of HB23-1100 will improve trust in government and law enforcement, while increasing safety for immigrant families. We believe that all Coloradans deserve to be proud of the actions our government takes to welcome immigrants of all nationalities.
As clergy and faith leaders in your communities, we urge you to support HB23-1100. Thank you for your public service and leadership.
Signed by 100 Colorado Faith Leaders. To view the signers, see the PDF below.
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.togethercolorado.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/23-Immigration-Final-Letter.pdf” title=”23 Immigration Final Letter”]