Denver has joined some 140 cities, counties and elected officials in filing two amicus briefs backing Minnesota and Rochester, New York — jurisdictions sued by the Trump administration’s over their “sanctuary” policies.

In a statement, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston characterized the White House’s actions as “defunding” and “punishing” America’s “sanctuary cities.”

The Trump administration, meanwhile, said sanctuary jurisdictions have stood in the way of enforcing immigration laws.

Johnston’s office described Minnesota and Rochester as “cities that, like Denver, are fighting back against the White House’s baseless attempts to rewrite local and state law in violation of the U.S. Constitution.”

An amicus brief – or friend of the court brief – is a legal document that allows a party not named in the case to provide an outside perspective on an issue under litigation. 

At its core, the briefs — filed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in U.S. v. The State of Minnesota and U.S. v. The City of Rochester — argued that “sanctuary policies” actually make jurisdictions “safer.” The briefs said those policies “either have no statistical effect on crime rates or result in lower crime rates.”

They do so by building trust between law enforcement and residents, strengthening local economies because immigrants play a vital role in the workforce and supporting public health by ensuring access to medical care without fear, according to the briefs.

“Denver’s historic drop in homicides and crime was accomplished by building trust in our communities, not by tearing it down like the Trump administration has done in Minneapolis and across the country,” Johnston said. “All of our residents, immigrant or not, know that if they have a crime to report, our police are here to listen and help. The benefits extend to our economy, which has long enjoyed the brainpower, hard work, and ingenuity immigrants offer. Or as we call them here, Denverites.”

In its lawsuits, the U.S. Department of Justice said many individuals illegally staying in the U.S. have committed “vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans” and the “sanctuary jurisdictions” serve to “obstruct federal law enforcement and celebrate thwarting the constitutional obligation” of the president to execute immigration laws.

The lawsuits also said state and local politicians have “insisted on harboring criminal offenders from federal law enforcement.”

“Such blatant disregard for federal law is not merely a political statement, but jeopardizes the public safety of all Americans,” the lawsuits said.

A Denver City Council committee recently advanced a proposed ordinance banning law enforcement officers, including federal immigration agents, from covering their faces during an arrest or detainment or inside a city facility. 

The proposed ordinance also establishes a minimum standard for visible identification during law enforcement actions in Denver and would require officers to provide their name and badge number when asked.

It is among a slew of measures that Democrats are considering at the local and state levels in response to stepped-up enforcement action by the Trump administration, though the operations in Colorado have so far been limited in comparison to Minnesota and some other American cities.

The city has filed five lawsuits and five amicus briefs against the Trump administration over several issues, notably attempts by the White House to withhold funding from “sanctuary” cities.

Last year, Johnston — along with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and New York Mayor Eric Adams — appeared before Congress to answer questions about Denver’s “sanctuary” policies and the city’s response to the illegal immigration crisis, which spilled over from the southern U.S. border into America’s interior cities.

The legal bill for a Washington-based law firm to prepare and advise Johnston and the city topped out at $2 million.

None of the four mayors has been criminally charged or removed from office since. To date, only the City of Boston has faced legal action.