Gov. Jared Polis on Friday urged the Trump administration to increase the number of immigration and FBI agents working out of Colorado, even as he insisted that his state is not a “sanctuary” jurisdiction.

Over the last two years, roughly 43,000 immigrants — mainly from South and Central America who crossed the southern border illegally — have arrived in Denver, costing the city $80 million. Separately, Polis signed a bill last year allocating $24 million to schools seeing

new students amid the surge of immigrants.

“So, we are excited by any federal help that can make Colorado safer,” the governor said during a stop in Colorado Springs. “Both ICE and the FBI have a very small presence in our state. So, if there’s a way to increase their capability, if you’re going to send more folks to go after criminals and working in conjunction with Colorado law enforcement, that could be a part of making Colorado safer.”

This week, three Republican members of Colorado’s congressional delegation called on Polis to back up his rhetoric — Polis this month said he hoped Trump and Congress would work together to secure the border, stop human trafficking, and stop the illegal flow of guns and drugs, adding that he welcomed federal agents to detain and deport “dangerous criminals” — with actions when it comes to state cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

In a letter, U.S. Reps. Gabe Evans, Lauren Boebert and Jeff Crank said that if Polis means what he said, they want to know if he plans to call on the Democratic-controlled legislature to repeal a series of laws the governor signed that restricts state and local governments and law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

Specifically, the Republican members of Congress want Polis to ask for the repeal of House Bill 19-1124, Senate Bill 21-131 and House Bill 23-1100. The three laws respectively prohibit Colorado law enforcement from complying with federal immigration detainers, prevent state agencies and law enforcement from sharing certain personal information with immigration authorities unless compelled by the courts, bar state or local entities from contracting or paying for immigration detention facilities, and prohibit local jails from holding inmates solely at the request of ICE.

When asked about the Republicans’ letter, Polis replied that Colorado has “full and strong cooperation on all criminal matters.”

“What is important to recognize is that your local police or your local sheriff’s department, they’re not arms of the federal government. We don’t want them being commandeered to, instead of going after a crime, enforcing federal immigration statutes,” he said.

As for repealing Colorado’s “sanctuary laws,” Polis replied, “Colorado is not a sanctuary state. And most counties like Boulder and Denver notify and work with ICE if they want to pick up somebody. They give them a window to do that. I encourage all counties to do that.”

He insisted that the “narrative” that sheriffs are barred by state law from cooperating with ICE is an “incorrect opinion.”

Some sheriff’s departments, including in Boulder and Denver, have in the past notified immigration officials before releasing some inmates wanted on civil immigration detainers, saying state laws allow such notifications. But Weld and El Paso County do not because officials there believe such notifications violate the law.

“If there’s a criminal that they want to pick up, you need to work with them to help schedule that and that usually means you give a release window and if they want to get them, they get them,” he said Friday. “So, they just give a window of six hours and then if ICE wants to get them, they do. This happens every day in Colorado. And that’s why this narrative is false that Colorado is in any way, shape or form a sanctuary state. We are not. There are cities in our state that claim to be sanctuary cities, but the state is absolutely not.”

He added: “We encourage close cooperation with local law enforcement.”

In fact, the state has faced lawsuits over its “sanctuary laws.”

A court challenge filed by Douglas counties targeted a 2023 law that restricts the ability of state and local governments from making agreements with federal immigration officials over the detention of immigrants who are unlawfully staying in the country, as well as the 2019 statute that blocks local law enforcers from arresting or detaining an immigrant solely on the basis of a federal immigration detainer.

The 2019 law also prohibits probation officers from providing “personal information about an individual to federal immigration authorities.”

“The nation is facing an immigration crisis,” the county’s challenge said. “The nation, the state, and local governments need to cooperate and share resources to address this crisis. Colorado House Bills 19-1124 and 23-1100 prohibit the necessary cooperation and create dangerous conditions for the state and migrants.”

The lawsuit, filed in Denver District Court, said the two laws are “illegal and unconstitutional” because they violate the Colorado Constitution’s provisions on intergovernmental relationships and distribution of powers. They are also preempted by federal immigration laws and regulations, the lawsuit added.

A judge last month dismissed the case, concluding Douglas County did not have any standing to sue the state. The county said it plans to appeal the case.

Colorado found itself in the national spotlight recently when a Venezuelan gang accused of terrorizing apartment complexes in Aurora came to light. Tren de Aragua, which originated in the prisons of Venezuela, is known for targeting immigrants and is believed to be behind a spree of kidnappings, extortion and other crimes tied to immigrants from South and Central America.

In announcing that it has begun posting closure notices at one of the apartment complexes allegedly terrorized by Tren de Aragua, the City of Aurora said its police department focuses on enforcing state and local laws and that it does not have a federal immigration function.

“State law bars local governments in Colorado from engaging with federal law enforcement entities on immigration-specific enforcement,” the city said.