U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) subpoenaed Denver law enforcement for information related to four foreign nationals who are being sought for deportation, the Associated Press reported.
ICE has sent administrative subpoenas to employers or landlords, but this marks the first time one has been served to a law enforcement agency, according to the report.
In 2017, then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions sent letters to 29 cities cities, municipalities and states, including Denver, considered to have adopted policies that give extra protection to undocumented immigrants, saying those policies may violate federal law while threatening to withhold law enforcement grants.
Such localities are often referred to as “sanctuary cities” though there is disagreement on the exact definition.
The cities eventually did receive federal funding after the threat was dismissed in a federal court.
The four foreign nationals involved — three Mexicans and one Honduran — have been arrested for violent crimes and were previously deported, AP quoted ICE as saying.
Three of the four men have been released from a Denver jail, and one remains in custody, according to the news agency.
The subpoenas were issued Monday. Denver officials have 14 days to respond with information in three of the cases. The city has three days to respond to the fourth case.
If Denver officials do not reply to the subpoena, ICE could go to a federal judge to seek compliance.
The move marks an escalation in tactics as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on immigration.
“Since we have no cooperation at the Denver justice center, we are modifying our tactics to produce information,” Henry Lucero, deputy executive associate director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, told AP.
President Trump has often attacked sanctuary cities, drawing a connection between crime rates in urban areas and their sanctuary policies.
ICE and Denver officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.