Democratic Governors Lead on ICE Pushback, but Polis Takes Hands-Off Approach

While some Democratic governors enact policies to limit federal immigration enforcement, Colorado's Polis signals he may not support similar measures.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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As Democratic governors in states like Massachusetts and Illinois take strong stances against federal immigration enforcement, enacting policies to restrict ICE's actions, Colorado's Governor Jared Polis is taking a more hands-off approach. While Polis has expressed concerns about ICE's tactics, he has not backed the type of aggressive pushback seen in other Democratic-led states. This has left state lawmakers in Colorado to take the lead on further regulating ICE, though Polis has signaled he may not support their proposals.

Why it matters

The divergent approaches of Democratic governors on immigration enforcement highlight the political tensions within the party. While some see a need for states to step up and protect immigrant communities in the face of aggressive federal tactics, others like Polis are more cautious about confronting the federal government. This could impact the types of policies enacted in Colorado to address concerns about ICE's actions.

The details

In Massachusetts, Governor Maura Healey unveiled a bill that would prohibit federal agents from making warrantless civil arrests in certain locations like courthouses and schools. Other Democratic governors, such as in Illinois and California, have pursued similar measures to limit ICE's reach. However, in Colorado, Governor Jared Polis has taken a more hands-off approach, stating he wants to see "guardrails" placed on the Department of Homeland Security at the federal level rather than enacting state-level policies. This has left state lawmakers to take the lead, with Democrats introducing bills to allow lawsuits against federal immigration agents, restrict data-sharing, and block ICE from certain locations like hospitals and schools.

  • In January 2026, Colorado Democrats introduced bills to expand protections for immigrants.
  • In February 2026, Governor Polis expressed concerns about ICE's tactics but signaled he may not support the state-level policies being proposed.

The players

Jared Polis

The Democratic governor of Colorado who has taken a more cautious approach to confronting federal immigration enforcement, in contrast with some of his party's peers in other states.

Maura Healey

The Democratic governor of Massachusetts who has unveiled aggressive policies to limit ICE's actions in her state, including prohibiting warrantless civil arrests.

Lorena Garcia

A Democratic state representative in Colorado who says lawmakers are moving forward with immigration-related policies "with or without" Polis' support.

Tanya Broder

Senior counsel for health and economic justice policy at the National Immigration Law Center, who says states have an important role to play in protecting residents from federal immigration enforcement abuses.

Hans Meyer

A Denver-based immigration attorney who has sued ICE over "unlawful" warrantless arrests in Colorado, saying the state needs to respond with additional protections.

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What they’re saying

“I'm going to take charge of what I can take charge of and what I have jurisdiction and authority over.”

— Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts (The Boston Globe)

“While I am always willing to work with legislators to find the best path forward for Colorado on any issue, including immigration and working with our federal law enforcement partners to apprehend criminals, I am mindful of what we already have on the books.”

— Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado (Statement)

“Coloradans want greater protections for Coloradans, whether we're immigrants or not, and my expectation is that the governor understands that that's where his state is, and that he supports these bills.”

— Lorena Garcia, Democratic state representative (the-journal.com)

“The goalposts have changed. We're in a brave new world where the federal government, and particularly DHS, has become a completely lawless agency. We at the state level need to respond with additional protections we never thought would be necessary in a free society.”

— Hans Meyer, Immigration attorney (the-journal.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case against Governor Polis over the sharing of personal information with ICE is expected to rule on the matter in the coming weeks, which could impact the scope of future state-level policies aimed at limiting federal immigration enforcement.

The takeaway

The divergent approaches of Democratic governors on immigration enforcement highlight the political tensions within the party. While some see a need for states to step up and protect immigrant communities, others like Polis are more cautious about confronting the federal government. This could shape the types of policies enacted in Colorado to address concerns about ICE's tactics.