Colorado State Employees Union Joins Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Gov. Jared Polis Over ICE Subpoena

Strategic Insights -

Colorado state Sen. Julie Gonzales speaks at a news conference with state union leaders in front of the Denver City and County Building on Monday, criticizing Gov. Jared Polis for his handling of an April 24 ICE subpoena. The union representing over 27,000 state employees in Colorado announced it is joining a whistleblower lawsuit against Polis, alleging that he improperly directed the state Labor Department to release the personal information of sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The lawsuit argues that Polis violated two state laws by complying with the subpoena without a court order.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions, a union representing over 27,000 state employees, is joining a whistleblower lawsuit against Gov. Jared Polis over his handling of an ICE subpoena.
  • The lawsuit alleges that Polis improperly directed the state Labor Department to release the personal information of sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  • The union claims that Polis' actions violated two state laws, specifically Colorado law, which restricts state and local governments and their employees from disclosing non-public personal information "for the purpose of investigating for, participating in, cooperating with, or assisting in federal immigration enforcement."
  • State Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat, who authored laws limiting data sharing of immigrants' personal information, criticized Polis for breaking the trust of Colorado community members and their families, educators, coworkers, and friends.
  • Executive Director of Towards Justice, David Seligman, joined the whistleblower lawsuit, criticizing Polis for allegedly complying with the ICE subpoena without an order from a judge.
  • The lawsuit was filed in Denver District Court on June 4 by Scott Moss, director of the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Statistics:

  • 27,000: The number of state employees in Colorado represented by the union Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions.
  • 35: The number of people who have assumed legal guardianship of unaccompanied children with pending immigration cases, whose contact information, addresses, insurance records, unemployment benefit filings, and employment information were requested by the ICE subpoena.
  • April 24: The date of the ICE subpoena that requested the personal information of sponsors of unaccompanied immigrant children.
  • June 4: The date the lawsuit was filed in Denver District Court by Scott Moss, director of the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.

Sources:

  • Delilah Brumer/Colorado Newsline
  • Scott Moss, director of the Division of Labor Standards and Statistics within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
  • State Sen. Julie Gonzales
  • David Seligman, executive director of Towards Justice
  • Colorado Workers for Innovative and New Solutions
  • Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
  • Colorado Newsline
  • ICE subpoena (date of request)