The Gazette editorial board reports that Colorado quietly repealed a piece of its sanctuary-law machinery after attorneys were forced to certify, under penalty of perjury, that they would not use certain court-record information to assist federal immigration enforcement unless required by law or court order.
That sentence should make every normal person stop and stare at the wall for a minute.
This was not some random bureaucratic typo. It was the natural result of Colorado’s ruling Democrats passing immigration-obstruction policy, expanding it into the judicial branch, and then watching the Colorado Judicial Branch implement a pledge lawyers had to accept to use the e-filing system they rely on to do their jobs. Then, once the adults in the room noticed the constitutional dumpster fire, HB26-1276 quietly backed the state away from the edge.
The Bullet Point Brief
- The Gazette says a sanctuary law passed last year barred lawyers from disclosing information in court records to aid federal immigration enforcement, and that Gov. Jared Polis repealed that requirement when he signed HB26-1276. Nothing says “rule of law” like making attorneys swear they will not help enforce federal law, then pretending the cleanup crew is just routine maintenance.
- The pledge, as implemented, required attorneys to certify “under penalty of perjury” that they would not disclose certain information to federal immigration authorities without a court order or legal requirement. Public records are public, apparently, until the wrong federal agency wants to use them.
- The Judicial Branch first pulled the provision “for review,” then reinstated it in April. That is not confidence. That is government touching the hot stove, looking surprised, and then reaching for it again because the ideology said so.
- The repeal was added to HB26-1276 after national backlash, according to the Gazette’s timeline. The bill had already been introduced as a broader immigrant-safety measure, then the attorney-certification mess got tucked into the fix pile. These people brag when they restrict cops, landlords, taxpayers, gun owners, and employers. But when they have to reverse their own sanctuary stunt, suddenly it is all whispers and paperwork.
- Democratic lawmakers quoted by the Gazette described the certification requirement as unintended or a workflow problem. How convenient. When conservatives object, it is fearmongering. When attorneys cannot do their jobs, it becomes an “oopsie” with a bill number.
My Bottom Line
This is government-by-virtue-signal at its finest. Pass a dumb law. Make professionals sign a creepy pledge. Wait for the backlash. Quietly repeal the worst part. Then hope nobody asks who thought this nonsense was constitutional in the first place.
Colorado Democrats keep trying to turn this state into an immigration-enforcement obstruction lab. Not a border state. Not a federal agency. A state government deciding it knows better than Washington, the Constitution, and basic common sense. Then they drag attorneys and court systems into the stunt like everyone else is supposed to salute the sanctuary flag and move along.
Polis gets to wear this too. He signed the original machinery into law, and he signed the retreat. That is classic moderation cosplay: let the progressive engine run hot, then quietly tap the brakes when the dashboard starts smoking. No parade. No apology tour. Just another piece of paper and a hope that taxpayers are too busy working to notice.
The bigger insult is the arrogance. Lawyers are officers of the court until progressive politics needs them deputized as sanctuary hall monitors. Transparency matters until it helps immigration enforcement. Public records matter until the public records might help the federal government enforce federal law.
Retreats like this are rare, but they are revealing. They prove the ruling class knows when it has gone too far. They just count on regular Coloradans being too busy paying bills, raising kids, and dodging the next state mandate to notice the cleanup crew hauling away the evidence.
Source: The Gazette
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