(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Colorado voters may soon decide on Initiative 95, a proposed ballot measure that would alter how law enforcement cooperates with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The measure aims to require law enforcement to notify federal authorities within 72 hours if a non-U.S. citizen is charged with a violent crime or has a prior felony conviction.
The initiative, supported by Advance Colorado, seeks to amend the state’s constitution, which currently imposes a $50,000 fine on law enforcement officers for cooperating with ICE. This proposal has emerged amid ongoing debates about immigration policies and their impact on local communities.
Advance Colorado President Michael Fields expressed confidence in gathering enough support to put the measure on the ballot, stating, “Every measure that we’ve turned in signatures for through the years has gotten on…so we’re pretty confident we’ll get it on.” Fields argues that the initiative focuses on deporting violent criminals and repeat felons. He said, “It’s basically a commonsense thing, only looking at violent criminals, repeat felons, and that cooperation with federal authorities.”…