Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett is going to be speaking at the Colorado State Capitol on Wednesday against a bill that would require Colorado peace officers to be U.S. citizens as a condition of employment.
Senate Bill 120, which is sponsored by State Sen. Bob Gardner, was passed by the Republican-led state Senate but has gotten criticism from Democratic lawmakers.
Garnett said he is among those who oppose the bill.
“I think it is really silly,” Garnett said. “It was misguided and obviously put forward more for political reasons than because it would be helpful to law enforcement.”
The bill has come at a time when President Donald Trump’s actions — from a travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries to a proposed wall on the Mexican border — have created a divide among politicians on the issue of immigration.
“I think (this bill) is part of the Republican effort to define the debate about immigration,” Garnett said.
Gardner disputed the notion that the bill was “anti-immigrant,” and told The Denver Post that the bill was to prevent officers from facing “conflicting allegiances.”
“Do we believe that our law enforcement officers, our peace officers, should be imbued either by birth or naturalization in the values of our country?” Gardner asked. ” … When they swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States, should there be no other conflicting oath?”
But Garnett said that he has worked with and hired numerous law enforcement officers who weren’t U.S. citizens and has never had a problem with “conflicting allegiances.”
“That’s just ridiculous,” Garnett said. “Every law enforcement officer takes an oath to enforce the Constitution of the United States, and I have never seen one of them not capable of doing that. Whether they are a citizen or not has nothing to do with it.”
Garnett pointed to the head of his office’s community protection division, Jane Walsh, who is originally from Scotland and practiced law in England before moving to Colorado and only recently became a U.S. citizen.
“Jane is a great example,” Garnett said. “She is a wonderful person and has lived in the U.S. for several years. Nothing about her not being a citizen prevented or impacted her ability to do her job as a peace officer.”
Deputy district attorneys such as Walsh are sworn peace officers, which would place them under this bill. Walsh said the bill would prevent immigrants from simply trying to serve their new country.
“Many immigrants feel a great deal of gratitude to the U.S., and want to contribute to their community however they can,” Walsh said. “And it may have a broader ripple effect, making law enforcement agencies less likely to give immigrants even the ability to do unpaid volunteer work.”
Garnett added that passing such a law also sends the wrong message to the immigrant communities that law enforcement are supposed to help protect.
“If you have pockets of your community who don’t trust law enforcement and are afraid to call the police, then criminals will take advantage of them,” Garnett said. “What we’re trying to do is create a sense of confidence and trust.”
Mitchell Byars: 303-473-1329, byarsm@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/mitchellbyars
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