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Rep. Joe Salazar says people want lawmakers to stand up for immigrants

Posted at 5:08 PM, Feb 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-05 19:08:45-05

DENVER -- A bill sponsored by State Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton, at the state capitol is being called a "state sanctuary bill" by many people. Rep. Salazar says that's not the case.

"It’s a bill drafted under the 10th Amendment of the United States Constitution," Salazar told Anne Trujillo on Politics Unplugged, "which means that we are going to reserve our right as a state, under our reservation of powers, to decide how we are going to utilize our state and local resources.  "

Salazar is a civil rights attorney by trade, and says this bill is something his constituents want him to address at the state house.

"It’s not just my constituents in Thornton, but people across the state," Salazar said. "I’ve been getting so many emails from people saying, 'thank you for standing up' and even from people who are typically conservative. They understand we are a nation of immigrants and they understand the hypocrisy behind what Donald Trump is trying to do."

Salazar also discussed a bill proposed by Rep. Dave Williams, R-El Paso County, that would allow people to bring a civil lawsuit against any elected official or jurisdiction when they feel they have become victim of a crime committed by someone in the country illegally who has established residency in a sanctuary jurisdiction.

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Politics Unplugged airs Sundays at 4 p.m. on Denver7.

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