The ski resort industry, reeling from early closures in March, suffered another major blow this week when President Donald Trump extended a ban on visas for immigrant workers through the end of the year. Citing soaring unemployment, Trump’s proclamation applies to H-1B visas used by technology companies, H-2B visas and J-1 visas. The resort industry […]
immigration policy
Posted inColoradans, News, Politics and Government
Supreme Court ruling on DACA brings more time, but no less uncertainty for Coloradans
As of the end of last year, Colorado was home to 14,640 DACA recipients. They have always known their freedom runs on a clock. Thursday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the Trump administration cannot summarily shut down the program does not change the precariousness of their legal status in this country, but it buys more […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump’s bid to end DACA
By Mark Sherman, The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end legal protections for 650,000 young immigrants, a stunning rebuke to the president in the midst of his reelection campaign. The outcome seems certain to elevate the issue in Trump’s campaign, given the anti-immigrant rhetoric of […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, COVID, Health, News
Devastated by weather and the coronavirus pandemic, Western Slope farm workers try to hold on
Guadalupe’s job as an agricultural worker at a Palisade greenhouse is considered essential, which has allowed her to continue working during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the market for the greenhouse produce she harvests in the spring has dropped significantly. Typically, 75% of the lettuce, kale, spinach, arugula and basil are sold to restaurants in the […]
Posted inCOVID, Crime and Courts, News
All inmates at Aurora immigration detention facility will be tested for coronavirus
By Ben Fox, The Associated Press WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Wednesday that it has expanded COVID-19 testing among people held at its detention facilities following criticism of its response to the outbreak. ICE says it now offers voluntary tests for the virus to all people held at detention facilities in Tacoma, […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Governor issues directive barring Colorado agencies from helping with federal immigration enforcement
Gov. Jared Polis quietly issued guidance this week barring state agencies from releasing Coloradans’ personal information to federal entities that plan to use the data for the sole purpose of immigration enforcement. The directive issued Wednesday prevents U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and other federal agencies from gathering data unless they have a court […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, COVID, Politics and Government
Coloradans in the U.S. illegally — and their citizen families — were denied coronavirus aid. Will the state step in?
Alaina Silva met her husband in a crowded sushi restaurant in downtown Denver in 2011. He was the sushi chef behind the bar, wearing a black chef’s coat and apron that crisscrossed behind his back. “I had just moved for work and I didn’t know anyone, so I decided to dine alone for the first […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, News
Hundreds of international workers at Colorado ski resorts are in limbo as countries close borders, airlines cancel flights
When Gov. Jared Polis ordered the state’s ski areas to close on March 14, he also launched Ana Panessi into a frantic race to get home. It was a race she did not win. “So many people, they were able to run away very quickly. We did not have the same opportunity. So we are […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado legislators must regulate immigrant detention centers
On Wednesday, an ICE employee at the GEO-owned Aurora immigration detention facility tested positive for COVID-19. Last week, 10 immigrants at the facility were isolated after possible exposure to the virus. The outbreak that advocates and health officials have predicted for the past few weeks is igniting. We echo the calls from multiple advocacy groups […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Public charge rule has disastrous impact on the health of immigrants
The Department of Homeland Security’s new Public Charge rule increasing requirements to receive a green card or certain types of visas, and denying services for hardworking families that enrich our communities and help drive our economy went into effect on Feb. 24. Advocates, health and social service providers, state and local leaders and community members […]