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Public Safety Enforcement Priorities Act & Executive Order Signed Today in Support of Immigrant Community / El Acta de Prioridades de Aplicación de Seguridad Pública y Orden Ejecutiva Firmada Hoy en Apoyo a la Comunidad Inmigrante

*Seguido en español*

Today Mayor Hancock signed into law the Denver Public Safety Enforcement Priorities Act and an Executive Order to further protect immigrants and refugees in our community and establish a Legal Defense Fund. We are so proud of the work community has done to make this victory happen, this is the first step for Denver, and the first step for our community in moving our city in the right direction.

We have been living under attack and we have been resisting. One of our members has been living under such fear that, before opening the door to go to work, she looks out through the windows to make sure immigration is not waiting outside to take her away from her family. She celebrated with us on Monday after the Denver City Council voted 10-0 to pass this policy, and today as Mayor Hancock signed the policy into law, along with an Executive Order to stand with immigrants and refugees. Our member now feels a bit safer, but we know that this policy is only the first step. We have to do a lot more to combat hate, white supremacy and the deportation machine that has gotten bigger since Obama left office. We will continue to fight, we will continue to resist, and, most importantly, we will continue to allow ourselves to be visionaries for what Denver and Colorado can be for our immigrant and refugee community.

We want to thank those involved in this fight, those who have been working tirelessly for months to get to this moment:

To COPA members who are directly impacted by this issue and have spent hours working on the best possible language, leading our strategy and meeting/calling City Council members to gain support for this policy- thank you for your dedication, your passion and thank you for driving and leading COPA’s work! To our allies – Together Colorado, Padres y Jóvenes Unidos, Mi Familia Vota, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, American Friends Service Committee and the Meyer Law Office, thank you for fighting with us and we are looking forward to continuing to work with you all in the future! To our CO-Sponsors, Council Members Kniech and Lopez, thank you for working and listening to community on this important effort.

We are so glad to have worked with all of you on this first step for Denver and let’s keep fighting to make Colorado a truly welcoming state for all!

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Hoy el Alcalde Hancock firmó la ley de Denver Public Safety Enforcement Priorities Act y una Orden Ejecutiva para proteger más a los inmigrantes y refugiados en nuestra comunidad y establecer un Fondo de Defensa Legal. Estamos muy orgullosos del trabajo la comunidad ha hecho para que esta victoria suceda, este es el primer paso para Denver, el primer paso para nuestra comunidad en mover nuestra ciudad en la dirección correcta.

Hemos estado viviendo bajo ataque y hemos estado resistiendo. Uno de nuestros miembros ha estado viviendo bajo tal temor que antes de abrir la puerta para ir a trabajar, mira a través de las ventanas para asegurarse de que  inmigración no está esperando afuera para llevarla lejos de su familia. Ella celebró con nosotros el lunes después de que el consejo de ciudad de Denver votó 10-0 para pasar esta política y hoy el Alcalde Hancock firmó la política en ley junto con una orden ejecutiva para apoyar a los inmigrantes y refugiados. Nuestro miembro ahora se siente un poco más segura, pero sabemos que esta política es sólo el primer paso. Tenemos que hacer mucho más para combatir el odio, para combatir la supremacía blanca y la máquina de deportación que se ha vuelto más grande después de que Obama dejó el cargo. Seguiremos luchando, seguiremos resistiendo y, lo más importante, continuaremos permitiéndonos ser visionarios en lo que Denver y Colorado pueden ser para nuestra comunidad de inmigrantes y refugiados.

Queremos agradecer a los implicados en esta lucha, a aquellos que han estado trabajando sin descanso durante meses para llegar a este momento:
A los miembros de la COPA que están directamente afectados por esta cuestión y pasaron horas trabajando en el mejor lenguaje posible, liderando nuestra estrategia y reuniéndose / llamando a los miembros del Concejo Municipal para obtener apoyo para esta política. Gracias por su dedicación, pasión y gracias por conducir y liderar el trabajo de la COPA! A nuestros aliados – Juntos Colorado, Padres y Jóvenes Unidos, Mi Familia Vota, Colorado Coalición por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes, American Friends Service Committee y la Oficina de Leyes de Meyer gracias por luchar con nosotros y esperamos continuar trabajando con todos ustedes en el futuro ! A nuestros co-patrocinadores, miembros del consejo Kniech y López, gracias por trabajar y escuchar a la comunidad sobre este importante esfuerzo.
Estamos muy contentos de haber trabajado con todos ustedes en este primer paso para Denver y vamos a seguir luchando para hacer de Colorado un verdadero estado de bienvenida para todos!

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Press Release: Public Safety Enforcement Priority Act Overwhelmingly Passes First Test

For Immediate Release

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Contact: Corrine Rivera-Fowler – (720) 296-8389; Lizeth Chacon – (720) 938-6588

 logos for press release

Public Safety Enforcement Priority Act Overwhelmingly Passes First Test

Faith leaders, advocates for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and immigrant rights champions call on Denver City Council to support council ordinance

 

August 2nd, 2017 – (Denver, CO) On a 5-1 vote, Denver City Council’s Safety, Housing,

Education & Homelessness Committee voted to pass the Public Safety Enforcement Priority Act. The ordinance is now headed to the full city council for a first reading vote on August 21, 2017. Council members Paul López, Robin Kniech, Stacie Gilmore, Paul Kashmann, and Wayne New voted in support of the ordinance, while Councilman Kevin Flynn opposed. “The people who are directly impacted by this policy have demonstrated that this policy matters to make Denver a safer city,” said Denver At-Large Councilwoman Robin Kniech, one of the ordinance’s sponsors.

 

The vote happened less than 24 hours after Mayor Hancock’s staff informed the Denver Post of a potential executive order aimed at protecting the immigrant community. While the Mayor’s support is welcomed by many, Kniech and Lopez’s policy creates two critical protections absent from the Mayor’s current draft: 1) all Denver city employees would be prohibited from communication and collaboration with ICE, and 2) the Denver Sheriff Department would no longer send notification information to ICE about the time and place of an individual’s release from the Denver county jail without a warrant.

 

“Mayor Hancock, thank you for your renewed interest in the well-being and safety of our immigrant community. Help us make Denver stronger and safer by working with us to pass this ordinance that has been crafted with leadership and input from community members,” said Corrine Rivera-Fowler of Padres y Jóvenes Unidos.

 

Responding to Councilman Flynn’s concerns that this proposal would create false hope, Salvador Hernandez of Mi Familia Vota responded, “False hopes is telling Denverites that weare safe and welcoming, while allowing Denver employees to continue communicating with ICE. In the last fiscal year, at least 279 undocumented Denver residents were deported as a direct result of Denver Sheriff Department’s compliance with ICE requests. This policy will defend Denver residents from ICE’s federal overreach.”

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We Demand a Welcoming and Safe City for All

*Seguido en Español*
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, March 27th 2017
Contact: Lizeth Chacon, 720-938-6588
lizeth@ coloradopeoplesalliance.org

We Demand a Welcoming and Safe City for All

Aurora, CO–Aurora City Council is calling a Special Study Session to talk about Sanctuary Cities but they are not allowing for public comment. Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA) will be hosting a press conference to stand with our immigrant and refugee community and send a message to City Council.

Our community will not be used for politics—we demand respect and dignity. Instead of holding conversations that leave out community input, the city should include the community on the conversation and should work to ensure that everyone that lives or visits Aurora feels welcome and safe.

“We are disappointed that the focus of the city is to ensure people know they are not a sanctuary city rather than working to ensure our city is welcoming and safe for everyone. The session on the 27th shows that City Council is ignoring the community by not allowing for public comment to be part of the session. Stop playing politics and get to work to support and protect everyone in Aurora,” states Lizeth Chacon, Executive Director of Colorado People’s Alliance.

It is time for us to stand strong and demand a welcoming city for all. We welcome community members to join us in solidarity, wearing white, at the press conference at 4:30pm and the study session from 5-7:30pm.

What: Press Conference to stand in solidarity and send a message to the Aurora City Council
Where: Outside of the Aurora Municipal Building
When: Monday, March 27th, 4:30pm
Who: Colorado People’s Alliance members and allies

Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA) is a racial justice, member-driven organization dedicated to advancing and winning progressive social change locally, statewide and nationally. COPA builds power to improve the lives of all Coloradans through leadership development, organizing and alliance building.
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El lunes 27 de marzo 2017
Contacto: Lizeth Chacon, 720-938-6588
lizeth@ coloradopeoplesalliance.org

Exigimos una ciudad de bienvenida y segura para todos

Aurora, CO—El consejo municipal de Aurora está llamando a una sesión especial para discutir Ciudades Santuarios, pero no permitirán que el público comente. La Alianza del Pueblo de Colorado (COPA) tendrá una conferencia de prensa para estar con nuestra comunidad de inmigrantes y refugios y mandar un mensaje al consejo municipal.
Nuestra comunidad no será usada por los políticos—exigimos respeto y dignidad. En vez de facilitar conversaciones sin escuchar la opinión de la comunidad, la ciudad debe incluir la comunidad en la conversación y debe trabajar para asegurarse que todos se sientan bienvenidos y seguros.

“Estamos decepcionados porque el enfoque de la ciudad es asegurarse que la gente sepa que Aurora no es una ciudad santuario en vez de trabajar para asegurarse que la ciudad le de la bienvenida todos y sea segura para todos. La sesión en el 27 demuestra que el consejo municipal está ignorando la comunidad con la falta de comentarios públicos. Dejen de jugar política y hagan el trabajo para apoyar y proteger a todos en Aurora,” dijo Lizeth Chacon, Directora Ejecutiva de la Alianza del Pueblo de Colorado.
Es la hora de mantenernos firme y exigir una ciudad que le de bienvenida a todos. Invitamos a los miembros de la comunidad a unirse en solidaridad, poniendose blanco, en la conferencia de prensa a las 4:30pm y la sesión de estudios a las 5-7:30pm.

Qué: Conferencia de prensa para colocarnos en solidaridad y mandar un mensaje al consejo municipal de Aurora
Dónde: Afuera del edifico municipal de Aurora
Cuando: el lunes 27 de marzo, 4:15pm
Quién: Miembros y aliados de la Alianza del Pueblo de Colorado

Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA) is a racial justice, member-driven organization dedicated to advancing and winning progressive social change locally, statewide and nationally. COPA builds power to improve the lives of all Coloradans through leadership development, organizing and alliance building.
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