The Monument, Colorado town council unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday, February 20th, declaring the town as a non-sanctuary city. This move aims to foster communication between local and federal authorities regarding immigration issues.
The town council moved swiftly to reaffirm its stance as a non-sanctuary city following remarks made by Mike Johnston, the Democratic mayor of Denver, during an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press Now. Johnston highlighted Denver’s imminent capacity limit for accommodating illegal migrants.
Monument’s mayor, Mitch LaKind, emphasized the council’s decision as a crucial message to Johnston and Denver, signaling that Monument won’t accept additional migrants once Denver reaches its capacity. LaKind stated that if illegal immigrants, unable to find accommodation in Denver, attempt to relocate to Monument, local authorities will arrange for their transportation somewhere.
LaKind appeared on Fox News, emphasizing that his rural town lacks the capacity to accommodate illegal immigrants and lacks the financial resources available to larger cities like Denver. He asserted their refusal to allocate taxpayer funds to support non-citizens. LaKind underscored the solidarity among El Paso County, Keensburg, and Colorado Springs in rejecting any actions that facilitate illegal immigration. During his Fox appearance, the mayor also reminded viewers that President Joe Biden has the authority to halt illegal border crossings but has opted not to exercise it.
While reiterating the town of Monument’s stance against actively welcoming illegal immigrants, he emphasized that speaking Spanish is not illegal in the country. He clarified that local authorities will not employ aggressive tactics akin to “Gestapo tactics” to track down individuals and verify their legal status.