Lawyers in the Mile High State are now being strong-armed by Democrats into signing a radical anti-immigration-enforcement pledge just to do their jobs.
Starting March 30, 2026, every private attorney logging into Colorado’s official Courts E-Filing system (CCE) must certify - under penalty of perjury - that they will never use or share non-public personal information from court records to assist federal immigration authorities. Refuse? You’re shut out of the system entirely. No filing lawsuits, no checking case files, no representing clients in state court. Period.
The certification reads in part: “I certify under penalty of perjury that I will not use personal identifying information obtained from the database… for the purpose of investigating for, participating in, cooperating with, or assisting in federal immigration enforcement, including enforcement of civil immigration laws and 8 U.S.C. sec. 1325 or 1326, unless required by federal or state law or to comply with a court-issued subpoena, warrant, or order.”
It’s not optional for immigration lawyers only. It hits every practicing attorney in Colorado - divorce attorneys, personal injury lawyers, estate planners, the works. Government employees get a free pass. Everyone else? Sign or sit on the sidelines.
The order comes straight from Senate Bill 25-276, the “Protect Civil Rights Immigration Status” act rammed through by Democrats and signed by Gov. Jared Polis on May 23, 2025. The bill expanded Colorado’s already aggressive sanctuary-style rules by slapping the Judicial Branch with the same restrictions as other state agencies - all in the name of blocking “federal civil immigration enforcement.”
The Colorado Judicial Branch openly admits the move is designed to keep state resources from helping ICE. On its official website, officials wrote: “This legislation seeks to prevent the use of state resources for federal civil immigration enforcement.” They even acknowledged the backlash, saying, “We recognize that some people may be frustrated by the requirements of this new legislation. However, the judiciary is required to comply with the laws as enacted by the legislature.”
A brief version of the same popup appeared last September before being yanked for “further discussion.” Now it’s back for good.
Critics say the policy doesn’t just create a massive headache for lawyers trying to meet filing deadlines - it raises serious questions about compelled speech, access to the courts, and whether the state can force officers of the court to swear off cooperating with federal law on pain of professional paralysis.
Colorado has positioned itself as one of the nation’s most defiant sanctuary states, repeatedly slapping limits on local cooperation with ICE. The new certification is just the latest example of Democrats putting ideology over basic functionality of the justice system.
A federal judge this week tossed a Trump administration lawsuit challenging some of these same policies, ruling the feds can’t force states to play along. But for thousands of Colorado lawyers just trying to file a motion or check a docket, the message from the state is crystal clear: Help enforce immigration laws? Not on our watch — and not in our courts.