Governor Polis talks immigration with KRDO13 following his 2025 State of the State address
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado Governor Jared Polis delivered his 7th State of the State address at the capital on Thursday; touting the successes the state saw in 2024 and laying out his vision for 2025.
Abortion, public safety, and affordability for all were some of the topics the governor hit on. He also said however, the state welcomes more federal help to detain and deport dangerous criminals.
With Donald Trump's inauguration just 11 days out, many were eager to see if Gov. Polis would address immigration policies.
He did just that, but made it clear that our state's cooperation with federal immigration officials isn't a black and white topic.
In a one-on-one interview with KRDO13, Gov. Polis argued that immigrants play a crucial role in driving Colorado's economy saying, "There's people that have been working in our communities for decades, whether it's the critical agriculture sector or hospitality service sector. And I hope that there's some, you know, legal certification or way that they can work to power our economy and stay here if they're following all of our laws."
He was also clear however that the state's zero tolerance policy for criminals remains, "If people are here illegally and committing crimes, we certainly want them apprehended...We recognize that there are people who come here for the wrong reasons and we want to work with the federal government to make sure that we can keep our communities safer."
Of course, Gov. Polis isn't looking to push out everyone who is undocumented.
"We don’t support efforts to deport American citizens, to target those on pending legal status, to break up families, to create orphans of American children whose parents are alive and who come to this country to build a better life for their families," Gov. Polis said is his State of the State address.
The governor also emphasized during his address that immigration is a civil matter that local law enforcement and federal authorities should handle themselves. Adding that Colorado should, "Stay true to the core values upon which our country was built: opening the door of freedom and opportunity and hope for all."
The state's 2025 legislative session will now play out over the next four months as lawmakers vote on hundreds of new laws, while tackling the state budget.
This year's session however will be defined by budget constraints and some heated policy debates as leaders try to strike a balance between our own state laws and new mandates coming from the federal level.
