Denver considers charter amendment allowing noncitizens to become first responders

Another ballot measure will be considered by the Denver City Council on Monday.

The council will decide whether to place a measure that would amend the city charter to allow noncitizens to become first responders on the November election ballot.

The measure would allow noncitizens to become police officers or firefighters, a move that supporters said would help the city recruit and fill public safety positions.

Altering the charter requires the approval of Denver voters.

If the measure is enacted, it would open up responder positions to permanent legal residents and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program that allowed immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children to lawfully remain in the U.S., according to councilmembers.

City Council President Jamie Torres previously emphasized that noncitizens must have work authorization to apply for first responder roles.

“A lot of people have jumped to the conclusion that people who are not documented would be able to now be police or fire department applicants, and that's simply not true,” Torres told The Denver Gazette. “A lot of this comes on the heels of us also knowing we are not filling our recruit classes.”

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas supports the move.

"The proposed city ordinance change and the already passed state legislation are legislative updates I have long advocated for," he said in a letter back in August.

The sheriff’s department and Denver paramedics are already excluded from the charter's provision that bars the hiring of noncitizens; hence, they won't be affected by any of the proposed changes.

“I look forward to welcoming the experiences and unique talents of all those who call Denver home into our department,” Thomas said.

In 2024 alone, the council has considered eight ballot measures to be on the Nov. 5 ballot. Four of the measures have officially been placed on the ballot, with the rest pending further approval, according to Denver’s legislative database.

In other action Monday, the council will consider:

• A second reading for a charter change ballot measure to allow certain city employees to unionize when negotiating salaries.
• A $5.25 million agreement with Urban Drainage and Flood County District (Mile High Flood District). The running total for the project would be $20,718,816.
• A $2 million cash transfer from the Culture and Recreation Special Revenue Fund Series to the Parks Legacy Capital Improvement Funds to acquire the Tibaldo property, a 167-acre property located between Denver Mountain Parks' Mount Pence Tract and Bergen Peak properties off State Highway 103 in Evergreen.
• A $1.7 million grant with the Colorado Department of Transportation to build upon the Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures program.
• A $2 million master purchase order with Bear Communication to provide emergency vehicle lighting and other components for city vehicles.