The House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, released a 25-page report accusing top prosecutors in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, of ignoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers for migrants arrested for violent crimes, including child abuse and assault. The findings are part of a broader investigation into sanctuary jurisdictions and their impact on law enforcement under the Trump administration.
The report identifies specific individuals whose ICE detainers were allegedly disregarded, including Fernando Barrios-Ramirez, a Venezuelan national arrested for sexual assault on a child, and Juan Andres Holguin-Mendez, a Mexican national with a history of arrests for willful cruelty to a child and other offenses. Denver District Attorney John Walsh and Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty have disputed the committee's characterization of their offices' actions.
What the Left Is Saying
Denver District Attorney John Walsh stated that his office prosecuted the cases listed in the report, noting that in the case of Barrios-Ramirez, ICE deported the individual to Mexico over the district attorney's objection, which Walsh said prevented his office from pursuing a decades-long sentence. "Unfortunately, in Barrios-Ramirez’s case, we were prevented from pursuing a decades-long sentence by ICE, who deported Barrios-Ramirez to Mexico over our objection, effectively setting him free," Walsh said.
Progressive legal advocates and local officials generally argue that ignoring ICE detainers is a matter of constitutional due process and local resource allocation. They contend that holding individuals solely for federal immigration purposes without a judicial warrant can expose jurisdictions to liability. The report notes that both Denver and Boulder encourage suspected illegal immigrants to not cooperate with ICE unless a judicial warrant is presented, a stance aligned with local policies that prioritize criminal justice outcomes over federal immigration enforcement.
What the Right Is Saying
House GOP investigators argue that Denver and Boulder prosecutors are actively helping illegal immigrants evade ICE, accusing them of preferential treatment. The report alleges that prosecutors weigh immigration consequences when pursuing charges, with Boulder DA Dougherty reportedly emailing defense attorneys to remind them of his office’s "pro-illegal alien policies" and consideration of collateral immigration consequences.
Rep. Jim Jordan and committee Republicans assert that these practices undermine President Donald Trump's federal crackdown on immigration. The report highlights an incident involving Abraham Smith Gonzalez, a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member, stating that Denver officials provided ICE with only one to two hours' notice before his release. Gonzalez was subsequently released, and when ICE officers attempted to arrest him outside a Denver jail in 2025, he assaulted an officer, according to the report.
What the Numbers Show
The House Judiciary Committee's report details specific criminal histories for individuals whose ICE detainers were allegedly ignored. Among the cases cited are:
• Fernando Barrios-Ramirez: Arrested for sexual assault on a child.
• Juan Andres Holguin-Mendez: Arrested for damage to property, with prior arrests for willful cruelty to a child, DUI, and other offenses.
• Diego Cano-Diaz: Arrested for aggravated assault with a weapon, resisting arrest, and assault, with multiple alleged protective order violations.
• Mario Hernandez-Quiroz: Arrested for child abuse and failure to appear.
The report indicates that at least four illegal immigrants arrested for alleged domestic violence in Denver had their ICE detainers ignored. Additionally, internal documents cited by the committee show that the Denver Sheriff's Department provided written explanations in immigrants' preferred languages stating they have "the right to refuse to speak to federal immigration authorities."
The Bottom Line
The release of this report intensifies the ongoing conflict between federal immigration authorities and local jurisdictions designated as sanctuary cities. While the GOP-led committee frames the issue as a failure of local law enforcement to cooperate with federal deportation efforts, local prosecutors maintain they are following legal guidelines and protecting due process rights. The findings may influence future funding decisions for sanctuary cities, as the Department of Homeland Security has previously signaled plans to withhold funding from jurisdictions that resist federal immigration enforcement. The legal and political debate over the validity of ICE detainers without judicial warrants is expected to continue.