(Maire Clayton, Headline USA) Denver Mayor Mike Johnston stated there should be places to provide sanctuary for illegal immigrants in a Monday interview on the local show Next with Kyle Clark.
“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,” he told the host. “They’ve historically been so. There’s been bipartisan support for that idea.”
He stated government buildings would not be used to house migrants, but he would wager churches would as they have done so in the past.
“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,” the mayor said.
Johnson made it clear that he plans on following all laws with regard to immigration.
“We’ll abide by the state and local law, and we clearly abide by the federal law, and so that’ll continue to be true,” he said.
However, he implied he would make it more difficult for federal law enforcements to do their job.
“We just won’t do federal law enforcement’s job for them and won’t support their effort to kind of bring terror to communities if they are trying to raid schools or hospitals or churches,” he added.
President Donald Trump was sworn into office Monday and ran on a campaign vowing to reclaim the border and stop the influx of illegal immigration.
Johnson previously claimed he would fight Trump’s immigration plan and was “not afraid” of the possibility of going to jail.
He walked back the statements after “border czar” Tom Homan said he would have no issue arresting the mayor for not following the law.
“But, look, me and the Denver mayor, we agree on one thing,” Homan said at the time. “He’s willing to go to jail, I’m willing to put him in jail.”
