House GOP report names migrants in Denver, Boulder whose ICE detainers were ignored

A 25-page report released Friday by the House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, accuses top prosecutors in Denver and Boulder of helping undocumented immigrants accused of violent crimes evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The document names specific individuals whose federal detainers were ignored by local authorities, alleging that local officials prioritized state criminal proceedings over federal deportation efforts.

The report identifies several individuals in Denver and Boulder who were arrested for charges including child abuse, sexual assault, and aggravated assault, yet whose ICE detainers were not honored. Among those named is Fernando Barrios-Ramirez, a Venezuelan national arrested for sexual assault on a child. The report also cites Juan Andres Holguin-Mendez, a Mexican national with a history that includes willful cruelty to a child, DUI, and evading a peace officer. In Boulder, Mario Hernandez-Quiroz, a Mexican national arrested for child abuse and failure to appear, was similarly listed among those whose federal holds were ignored.

According to the committee, ignoring an ICE detainer does not necessarily mean the accused was released onto public streets immediately. However, the report argues that such actions delay federal deportation proceedings. The investigation claims that Denver and Boulder district attorneys weighed immigration consequences when pursuing charges, effectively allowing more undocumented individuals to remain in the United States pending state court outcomes.

Internal documents obtained by House GOP investigators indicate that the Denver Sheriff's Department provides written explanations in a suspected illegal immigrant's preferred language stating they have the right to refuse to speak to federal immigration authorities. The report further alleges that Denver officials provided insufficient notice to ICE when detainers were issued. In one instance involving a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member named Abraham Smith Gonzalez, ICE received between one and two hours' notice before he was released. The report states that when ICE officers later attempted to arrest Gonzalez outside a Denver jail in 2025, he assaulted one officer.

Boulder County District Attorney Dougherty is specifically accused of prohibiting information sharing with ICE. The report notes that before President Trump took office in January 2025, Dougherty emailed Boulder defense attorneys to remind them of his office's policies regarding collateral immigration consequences. Guidance from Dougherty's office states that attorneys consider immigration and other collateral consequences when recommending dispositions for defendants. Both Denver and Boulder are accused of encouraging suspected illegal immigrants not to cooperate with ICE unless a judicial warrant is presented.

Dougherty told Fox News Digital that the report is a political stunt intended to sway voters before the midterm elections. He stated that his responsibility is to do justice and enhance public safety, not to be distracted by political theatre. Dougherty's office also accused committee Republicans of intentionally misrepresenting one individual's case in the report. The office stated that under Boulder County's approach, an individual named Contreras was held fully accountable by prosecutors and sent to state prison for eight years, after which he will face deportation. Fox News Digital contacted the Denver and Boulder district attorney's offices and police departments for comment on the allegations.