Local Mayor Vows to Resist Trump’s Mass Deportation Plan

Democratic Denver Mayor Mike Johnston vowed to combat President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed mass deportations and defunding of sanctuary cities. The former Colorado state senator said he would use local law enforcement and 50,000 city residents “stationed at the county line” to create a “Tiananmen Square moment,” on Thursday, referring to the infamous image of a Chinese student staring down a government tank during the 1989 uprising in China. “You’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants. And you do not want to mess with them,” Johnston told the Denverite news site. Trump’s incoming “border czar” Tom Homan said he will crack down on immigration regardless of local resistance. Still, not only would city police not assist federal immigration enforcement, Johnston claimed that his state’s leadership is also unlikely to allow federal forces to mobilize in Colorado. Roughly 40,000 migrants have flocked to the Mile High City since December 2022. Johnston said he and the city are committed to protecting Denver’s undocumented residents, and protecting its status as a sanctuary city. “We’re not going to sell out those values to anyone,” he said. “We’re not going to be bullied into changing them.”