In response to heightened concern over tactics by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office reissued guidance on how to respond to ICE, including this directive: If ICE attempts to enter your home without a judicial warrant, call 911.
After publishing that story, Boulder Reporting Lab heard from readers who were skeptical. We followed up with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and the Boulder Police Department to ask how they would respond to such a call. Both agencies said they would come to the scene and evaluate whether a law enforcement response is warranted, just as they would for any other 911 call.
“I want people to be confident that when they call the Sheriff’s Office that we’re going to come and we’re going to do what’s right,” said Vinnie Montez, a public information officer with the Sheriff’s Office. “We value organizational excellence; we value life. We value the things that people in Boulder County expect us to value.”
On a recently updated immigration enforcement FAQ webpage, Boulder Police said officers will document their response and on-scene interactions using body-worn cameras. A representative from the Sheriff’s Office said anyone calling 911 should be prepared to provide their location, descriptions of those involved, any injuries or medical needs, and contact information.
Residents have a Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures and are not required to open their door unless ICE presents a judicial warrant signed by a judge, according to the District Attorney’s Office. The guidance to call 911 if that right is violated follows multiple documented cases of ICE agents entering homes without judicial warrants in Minnesota. ICE has not entered homes without a warrant in Colorado, according to the DA’s Office.
Both Boulder Police and the Sheriff’s Office emphasized that they do not enforce immigration law, will not ask about immigration status, and will not share information about residents’ immigration status with ICE. Both agencies say they serve the community regardless of immigration status, according to statements on their websites.
Boulder Police also reminded residents that they will be in uniform or have clear department identification, like a marked car, vest and badge. Police officers and sheriff’s deputies will identify themselves by name, rank and agency when interacting with community members. Boulder Police have released a video on how to recognize a “real police officer” in English and Spanish.
“You have the right to ask any law enforcement officer to identify themselves by name, rank, and agency, and to ask them to explain why they have stopped you,” the Boulder Police FAQ page reads. “You can call 911 to verify the identity of any officer or if you have concerns for your safety or the safety of others.”
“The bottom line is, we don’t want to create fear in our community,” Montez said. “We want people to know we’re here for them. And when they call 911 or non-emergency numbers, we’re going to handle the call just like we would any other day.”
Resources
To file a complaint about a Boulder police officer:
Call 303-441-3312, email the Professional Standards Unit at psu@bouldercolorado.gov, or file a complaint online.
To file a complaint about a Boulder County Sheriff’s Office employee: Call 303-441-4444 and request to speak to the on-duty supervisor, call their comment line at 720-564-2833, or email BCSO@bouldercounty.gov.
To file a complaint about a federal agent (ICE, Department of Homeland Security or FBI):
- ICE: 1-833-442-3677 or ICE.Misconduct@dhs.gov,
- DHS: 1-800-323-8603
- FBI Denver: 303-629-7171
- Colorado Attorney General complaint form
To check whether someone has been detained by ICE: Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System.
It’s really interesting that the DA’s office felt the need to reissue the guidance specifically on calling 911 for home entries without a judicial warrant. That clarification seems crucial given the reader skepticism you mentioned. I wonder how consistently the 911 dispatchers are trained on this specific distinction?
Two big questions that are going unanswered here:
1. What about if they enter a business and they are asked to leave? Should 911 be called in the same scenario?
2. If ICE enters without a warrant, 911 is called, and local law enforcement arrives, what will they actually plan to do? Street brawl with ICE agents? Will the agents realistically be treated the same as any other person who is blatantly breaking the law?