Englewood council to consider limits on civil immigration enforcement on city property
The proposed first-reading ordinance would cover city buildings, parks, parking lots and rights-of-way, with exceptions for court orders, other legal requirements or council authorization.
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The Englewood City Council is scheduled to consider a proposal Nov. 2 that would bar other government agencies from using city-owned or controlled property for civil immigration enforcement, with exceptions for legal requirements and council approval, according to the council packet.
The proposal would prohibit using that property to stage, process, park, assemble, mobilize or deploy for civil immigration enforcement, or as an operations base. It would allow such use when authorized by a valid court order or judicial warrant, otherwise required by law, or specifically approved by the council.
If needed to notify people or comply with the ordinance, city staff could use signs or physical barriers to limit access to parking lots, vacant lots, garages and nonpublic areas of city facilities. Staff said signage would have minimal costs because the city makes signs in-house.
The proposal’s recitals cite nationwide reports of federal civil immigration enforcement and concerns that use of public property could affect people exercising First Amendment rights and immigrant groups. They also cite the city’s stated values and the goals of protecting current or planned city uses and creating a formal approval process.
The agenda lists the measure for first reading Nov. 2, not final adoption.