‘Like Tiananmen Square’: Denver Mayor Vows City Police, Population Will Forcibly Resist Trump Deportation Measures

Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston vowed that his city’s police and population would resist President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation agenda in an interview Tuesday with the Denverite while comparing Trump and federal deportations to the Chinese Communist Party. 

“Absolutely not,” Johnston said when asked about whether his office would allow the Denver Police Department (DPD) to cooperate with future Trump administration deportation measures. “We won’t do it.”  

Johnston proposed that local law enforcement could be used to block any attempts by the incoming Trump administration to enforce U.S. immigration law. He also suggested that the city’s population would come out in force to interfere with federal immigration enforcement officers. 

“More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you would have 50,000 Denverites there,” Johnston told the Denverite. “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right? You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. And you do not want to mess with them.” (RELATED: ICE Nabs 3 Accused Child Rapists In Blue State As Governor, Mayor Remain Opposed To Trump’s Deportation Agenda)

According to federal statute 18 USC 111, forcibly resisting, impeding or intimidating a federal officer in the commission of his official duties is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison and a fine provided that the act in question is determined to be “simple assault.” Employment of a deadly or dangerous weapon or commission of injury to the officer’s body could lead to 10 years imprisonment.

Johnston also said he thought that Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis would refuse to mobilize the Colorado National Guard and argued that Trump would need to bring National Guard forces from outside to enforce immigration law.

“I do not believe that our governor is going to let them use our [Colorado] National Guard at the state level,” Johnston told the Denverite. “Unless they were planning on bringing national guards mobilized from Texas or Alabama to come invade Colorado, I don’t know where they would find the forces to begin to do that.”

Many of Johnston’s Democrat colleagues, including state and local officials, have also said they would not cooperate with deportation measures. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker have all vowed to use their gubernatorial authority to oppose Trump’s deportation plans. 

Tom Homan, Trump’s nominee for “border czar,” responded Monday when Democrat Boston Mayor Michelle Wu pledged to protect illegals in her community in “every possible way.”

“Well, she’s not very smart,” Homan said on Newsmax. “I’ll give her that because what I just said is that President Trump is going to prioritize public safety threats. What mayor or governor doesn’t what public safety threats out of their communities. I mean, that’s their number one responsibility, is to protect their communities. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do. So either she helps us or she gets out of the way, because we’re going to do it.”

🚨BREAKING: Tom Homan responds to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on her trying to stop his deportation efforts:

“Well, she’s not very smart, I’ll give her that because I just… President Trump’s going to prioritize public safety threats.”

“What mayor or governor doesn’t want public… pic.twitter.com/fLrv2kJm0q

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) November 19, 2024

“And look, there’s a clear line here, and they can’t cross a clear line. I suggest she reads Title 8, USC 1324 iii that says you can’t harbor or conceal illegal aliens in front of law enforcement officers. So I hope she doesn’t cross that line,” he continued.

The Daily Caller has reached out to Mayor Johnston’s office and Gov. Polis’s office for comment.