Dear Community,

In 2025, immigrant communities across Colorado faced an increasingly hostile national political climate, with rising anti-immigrant rhetoric and coordinated attacks on the policies and leaders who defend immigrant families. In response, CIRC Action Fund focused on strengthening the political power needed to meet this moment. Even in an off-cycle municipal election year, we invested in building relationships with voters and preparing immigrant communities to shape the critical elections ahead.

Our team conducted targeted voter outreach across communities in the Denver metro area, helping deliver important local victories. In 2025, seven candidates endorsed by CIRC Action Fund won their races across Aurora and Westminster, demonstrating the growing influence of immigrant communities and our allies in shaping local leadership. These wins reflect years of organizing and the power of connecting local issues - such as housing, economic opportunity, and public safety - to the broader fight for immigrant justice.

Our voter engagement was also strategically focused on immigrant communities and voters of color in Colorado’s most competitive congressional district. We knocked on nearly 5,000 doors within Colorado’s Congressional District 8 and initiated hundreds of conversations with voters about the importance of electing leaders who stand with immigrant families. 

These conversations helped lay the groundwork for stronger civic engagement in one of the most competitive districts in the country, where immigrant and New American communities will play a decisive role in the elections ahead.

As we look toward 2026, we know the political threats facing immigrant communities will only intensify. Anti-immigrant forces are already advancing ballot initiatives designed to criminalize immigrants and roll back protections, including proposals such as ballot measure 95. Meeting this moment will require building a strong statewide campaign that engages voters around both these threats and the leaders who will stand with immigrant communities. Our focus remains clear: expanding civic participation, strengthening community leadership, and ensuring immigrant communities have the power to elect leaders who will defend dignity, opportunity, and justice for all.

In solidarity,

Gladis Ibarra & Henry Sandman, Co-Executive Directors

Along with the Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA), CIRC and CIRC Action Fund are leading a pro-immigrant bill package this legislative session. The slate of immigrant bills seeks to respond to the urgent need for our state to act when federal policies sow fear and division.

The Bills Include:

HB26-1276: Protecting Colorado Families Act - Reps. Velasco and Garcia & Sens. Jodeh and Weissman

The bill builds on Colorado law to ensure full accountability for violations of the prohibition on sharing personal private information, creates transparency of all subpoenas the state receives from the Department of Homeland Security including informing any individuals whose information is shared, institutes health and safety standards and inspections for immigration detention facilities, prohibits the use of municipal airports buses and trains from transporting detained individuals and protects individuals from deportation when an individual is in transit to or from a healthcare facility, school, child care center, court building, or faith establishment. 

HB26-1275: The Visible and Accountable Policing Act – Reps. Froelich, Zokaie & Sens. Jodeh, Weissman

The bill stipulates that law enforcement officers, from Colorado or another state working for or on behalf of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, shall not wear any facial covering and must wear visible identification while interacting with the public, with limited exceptions. In addition the bill ensures law enforcement officials receive training in the state’s immigration laws and requires law enforcement officials to display their agency name, or ID number on their outermost clothing or gear.

SB26-005: Rights Violation in Immigration Enforcement Remedy – Sens. Weissman, Gonzales & Reps. Zokaie, Mabrey

Constitutional rights apply to all persons. Civil immigration enforcement does not excuse unconstitutional conduct, and judicial remedies are necessary to deter abuse of power, uphold the rule of law, and maintain public trust. The bill ensures that a person whose rights are violated in civil immigration enforcement may bring a civil action and a person who has violated their rights may be liable.  

Join COPA & CIRC on Wednesday, March 25th for a joint Immigration Lobby Day! Lobby your legislators with us to support the bills in our Immigration Package. Wear blue or white to show a united front! Sign up here!