Donald Trump

Ingrid LaTorre will get time to make family arrangements before deportation, ICE says

DENVER – Ingrid LaTorre, the Peruvian national whose plea for a pardon from Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper was denied Thursday, will get around a month to make arrangements for her family before she is deported.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Friday to Denver7 it was working with LaTorre’s attorneys regarding her departure since she now has a final order of removal. Continue reading

Colorado’s Gardner, Coffman change course from pre-2014 with support of DACA legislation

DENVER – U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner signed on Tuesday for the first time to cosponsor the Dream Act, which would effectively implement DACA through legislation, on the same day that his fellow Republican member of Congress, Mike Coffman, tried to force the House to vote on a DACA extension.

After President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday morning that DACA would be rescinded, Trump and many Republicans in Congress, including those from Colorado, called for the legislative body to craft new legislation for Dreamers in the next six months. Continue reading

Hundreds of Denver students rally at Auraria Campus to protest Trump’s DACA decision

DENVER – An estimated 1,100 students in Denver walked out of class Tuesday after the Trump administration announced it was rescinding the Obama-era immigration program that has protected more than 17,000 people in Colorado from being deported.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the move Tuesday morning, and the Department of Homeland Security officially rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) minutes later. Continue reading

DACA rescinded: Colorado’s elected officials react to Trump’s immigration decision

DENVER – Reaction from Colorado’s members of Congress and other state government officials to the Trump administration’s decision to roll back the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program started pouring in shortly after Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement Tuesday morning.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security formally rescinded the Obama-era policy, which has protected around 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, and Sessions put the ball in Congress’ court to make a formal legislative policy. President Obama resorted to using an executive action to implement the policy after Congress failed to pass a measure. Continue reading

Ex-U.S. Ambassador to South Korea says more work with China needed amid ‘serious crisis’ over nukes

DENVER – The former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, who also led the American delegation to previous talks over North Korea’s nuclear program, says there is “a serious crisis” brewing following North Korea’s latest nuclear test, and that the U.S. and China need to start working together more to stave off anything worse.

Christopher Hill, who was the ambassador to South Korea from 2004-05 and served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2005 to 2009, also led the American delegation to the “Six Party Talks” in the 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds of the talks between the U.S., North Korea, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia. Continue reading

Colorado immigrants, lawmakers anxiously await Trump’s decision on DACA

DENVER – Gov. John Hickenlooper joined state lawmakers, immigrants and activists at the state Capitol Friday to voice support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program days ahead of President Trump’s decision on whether or not he’ll continue the program.

The morning rally by some of Colorado’s highest-profile Democrats came as the timeline for Trump’s decision was still up in the air, with Trump telling reporters a decision could come Friday or Monday. But White House press secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed later Friday that the president would make his decision by Tuesday. Continue reading

Hickenlooper-Kasich health care proposal calls for retaining individual mandate, funding CSRs

DENVER – Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s health care reform proposal put together with a bipartisan panel of governors implores Congress to keep the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act in place while work is done to further stabilize insurance marketplaces and make the health care law feasible in the long run.

Hickenlooper, a Democrat, and Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich unveiled the proposal on Thursday after months of crafting that was done with governors from Nevada, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Virginia, Louisiana and Montana. Continue reading

Hickenlooper to unveil what he calls a bipartisan health care market stabilization fix on Thursday

DENVER – Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper will unveil the details of the bipartisan framework he says will stabilize insurance markets around the country on Thursday morning at the state Capitol in Denver.

Hickenlooper, a Democrat, hinted at the unveiling earlier this week after months of visible work and public appearances with Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican. The unveiling will happen at a news conference at 11 a.m. Thursday. Continue reading

Former Mexico President Vicente Fox praises Denver’s new immigration ordinance

DENVER – Former Mexico President Vicente Fox kicked off his first day in Denver Tuesday by praising the city’s decision made Monday to bolster protections for immigrants in the city.

Fox is in town for talks regarding the economy between Colorado and Mexico.

In a news conference that also included Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Fox praised the measure passed Monday by the city council, which Hancock defended in the face of opposition from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.

“The reality is if people feel safer calling the police, if they feel safer reporting crimes—whether they’re victims or witnesses—we’re all better off,” Hancock said.

Fox echoed those sentiments.

“My first surprise is that great news [of the new city measure]—that this city is taking some steps to make sure that rule of law in this city is applied fairly, without discrimination,” Fox said.

Councilwoman Robin Kniech, who was one of the councilors pushing the immigration measure, told Denver7 Tuesday she’s not afraid the city will lose federal funding, as the Trump administration has threatened, saying she believes federal law is on the city’s side.

Mayor Hancock is expected to sign the new ordinance into law later this week.

Fox was expected to join Gov. John Hickenlooper, Hancock, and Aurora’s mayor at a private dinner Tuesday evening at the Governor’s Mansion.

Fox will be in town for Wednesday afternoon’s trade forum, which is open to the public, though tickets are required. More information can be found here.

Man who claimed neo-Nazi haircut led to stabbing in Colorado actually stabbed himself, police say

SHERIDAN, Colo. – A man who claimed he’d been stabbed outside a Sheridan restaurant on Aug. 16 because his haircut made him look like a neo-Nazi actually stabbed himself, police say.

Joshua Lee Witt, 26, was booked late last week on a false reporting to authorities criminal summons, which could land him a fine of $2,650 and up to a year in jail if he’s convicted. Continue reading