Rep. Lauren Boebert Torches Colorado, Wants Federal Funds Pulled [WATCH]

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., criticized Colorado’s leadership this week following a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice against the state and the city of Denver over their immigration policies, as reported by Fox News.

The legal action, filed Friday in Colorado District Court, accuses both jurisdictions of violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution through the enforcement of so-called “sanctuary” laws.

Speaking to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Boebert said Denver’s approach to immigration enforcement, along with state-level policies, has made Colorado a national concern.

Trump’s Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

“[Denver] Mayor Mike Johnston was unwilling to change policies that don’t even allow his city employees to coordinate with ICE agents,” Boebert said. “And that also is a coupling with Colorado state laws as well. Unfortunately, Gov. Jared Polis has not budged on those either.”

Boebert added that Colorado’s Democrat-controlled legislature has pushed policies that expedite driver’s license access for individuals living in the state illegally.

The DOJ’s complaint states that the federal government holds the “preeminent, and preemptive authority to regulate immigration matters.”

ICE, the agency responsible for enforcing immigration law, relies on cooperation from state and local agencies for tasks such as identifying, detaining, and transferring individuals who are in the country unlawfully.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

According to the agency, sanctuary policies hinder those efforts and increase risks to public safety.

The lawsuit also places new national attention on Colorado due to recent reports that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has established a presence in the state.

The Department of Justice has recently taken similar legal action against other cities with sanctuary designations, including Chicago and Rochester, New York.

Boebert said Congress should consider additional ways to push back on jurisdictions that fail to cooperate with federal immigration law, including budgetary measures.

“At a congressional level, other than codifying what President Trump is doing with his Executive Orders, we do have the power of the purse here in the House,” Boebert said.

She continued:

“And so we need to begin to withhold funding from these sanctuary cities and really empower those who are obeying federal laws to do that more, incentivizing them with those federal dollars and with programs that benefit their areas.”

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing federal agencies to withhold funds from sanctuary jurisdictions that fail to revise their immigration enforcement policies.

The order comes as Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported more than 65,000 arrests and deportations in the first 100 days of the Trump administration’s renewed crackdown, with thousands involving individuals with criminal records.

Boebert offered a message to state leaders:

“Obey federal law. If you want these federal dollars to come back and bless Colorado—Colorado is a beautiful state, and they know that. And we want to encourage people to come to Colorado to be there, to be with us, and to have a safe community.”

In response, a spokesperson for Gov. Polis stated:

“Colorado is not a sanctuary state. The State of Colorado works with local, state and federal law enforcement regularly, and we value our partnerships with federal law enforcement agencies to make Colorado safer.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mayor Mike Johnston’s office for comment.

Connect with Vetted Off-Duty Cops to Instantly Fulfill Your Security Needs

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.