Pirate's Cove

The judge had to explain federalism to the Democrats

Federal judge blocks part of new Colorado law requiring regular inspections of immigrant detention centers

A federal judge in Denver this week blocked provisions of a new state law that required Colorado’s only immigrant detention center to open its doors for regular health inspections.

The Thursday decision from U.S. District Court Judge Daniel D. Domenico defangs the most immediate part of House Bill 1276, which Democratic lawmakers passed earlier this year.

Siding in large part with a request from Geo Group, the private company that runs the Aurora detention center, Domenico found that HB 1276’s provisions requiring unannounced inspections at least once every three months were preempted by federal law and Geo’s existing contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

He wrote that the newly required inspections — and a companion provision that directed Geo to pay for them — “are currently in effect, imposing actual burdens on Geo of more frequent and costly inspections.” He said the new rules were likely unconstitutional.

Hey, remember when Democrats freaked out over Arizona’s SB1070, the “show me your papers” bill, claiming that only Los Federales had the power for immigration? Also, this is a federal facility: the state has zero authority over it.

Domenico noted that Geo’s contract with ICE is due to expire Oct. 15. He set his injunction to end on that date because the “provisions of any new contract that GEO (or another operator) obtains from the federal government may alter the analysis significantly, or make proceeding further with this case unnecessary at all.”

Why are Democrats so hot to trot to protect illegal aliens, including gang members, murderers, and child predators?