Colorado families, law enforcement, teachers, and community advocates held a No on Amendment 81 Kickoff at the Colorado State Capitol Thursday morning. Amendment 81 will be on the statewide ballot this November. If passed, it would permanently amend the Colorado Constitution and could override current state laws limiting ICE authority in Colorado. Colorado voters must vote NO on Amendment 81 to ensure we limit ICE’s power in Colorado, not expand it. A no vote would also protect Coloradans’ right to due process.
“Amendment 81 eliminates the due process rights of every Coloradan charged with a crime — regardless of their immigration status,” said Olivia Mendoza, Executive Director of ACLU of Colorado. “Due process is the fundamental right to ensure our government doesn’t take away our liberties guaranteed to us by the U.S. Constitution.”
Under Amendment 81, state and local law enforcement are required to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when they charge Coloradans with certain crimes, before they have had a chance to defend themselves in court and before a court has decided if that person is guilty.
A NO vote on Amendment 81 will:
- Limit ICE’s power in Colorado, not expand it.
- Protect due process rights by making sure no Coloradan is reported to ICE before a court has found them guilty of a crime and before they have a chance to prove their citizenship.
- Protect Coloradans from being targeted by ICE based on how they look, talk, or other characteristics.
“If approved, Amendment 81 would effectively make Colorado state and local law enforcement – including District Attorneys – an arm of ICE,” said John Walsh, Denver District Attorney. “In practice, this proposition would create an expectation that Colorado’s law enforcement agencies check in with ICE nearly every time a person is charged and has a prior criminal record. Unless the person convicted happens to be carrying their passport, and if law enforcement cannot otherwise adequately verify a person’s immigration status within 72 hours, Amendment 81 would require that they be reported to ICE. Inevitably, that means that law enforcement will be forced to check in with ICE and to report many people who will turn out to be American citizens.”
“Colorado kids should only be worrying about learning, making friends, and experiencing new things when they are at school – not worrying about immigration enforcement, and that’s why we need to make sure Coloradans reject Amendment 81,” said Kayli Brooks, an elementary school teacher in Aurora Public Schools.
“The most basic tenant of a functional justice system is the trust that law enforcement and district attorneys have with victims and their community – trust is built upon the fact that everyone deserves justice no matter who they are,” said Gordon McLaughlin, District Attorney for Larimer and Jackson Counties. “Amendment 81 will enshrine in our Constitution a requirement to betray that trust and that means our communities become less safe.”
The No on Amendment 81 campaign held their campaign kick-off at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. Photos and videos of the events are available for use in this Google folder. Photos or videos can be credited to Colorado Communities First – No on Amendment 81.
Election Day is November 3, 2026 and eligible Coloradans can register to vote and update their voter registration at GoVoteColorado.gov.