The city of Denver is hiring outside lawyers as it prepares for a Congressional Republican inquiry about the city's immigration policies.
A contract passed by Denver City Council allows the city to pay up to $2 million over a one-year period to Covington & Burling, a Washington-based law firm. The city is to be represented by Dana Remus, who previously was the White House counsel for President Joe Biden.
Mayor Mike Johnston is scheduled to speak before the Republican-led U.S. House Oversight Committee on March 5. But "investigative activity is likely to continue following this hearing," according to a letter from the law firm to the city.
The firm will represent the city government, not just the mayor.
Denver is one of four Democrat-run cities targeted by the Republican committee.
Kentucky U.S. Rep. James Comer called it an investigation into “the policies of sanctuary jurisdictions and their impact on public safety and federal enforcement.”
Denver officials have pushed back on the term "sanctuary city." But the city and state have passed a series of laws that provide protections for undocumented immigrants.
"What we know is that the mayor is being asked to go and testify in D.C. in defense of the policies of this city, which were adopted by both the executive and legislative branches of Denver," city councilmember Sarah Parady said.
Boston, Chicago and New York City also are targets of the Congressional probe.
How is Denver paying for the legal support?
The city will pay rates of $595 and $1,000 an hour for various staff at the law firm. Dana Remus is to be the lead attorney. She was White House counsel in 2021 and 2022, and previously was general counsel for Biden's 2020 campaign
The contract was approved by the city's Finance & Governance Committee last week and by the Denver City Council on Tuesday.
"The city regularly enters into contracts with outside counsel to provide specialized legal expertise or to address a need for additional capacity. This legal counsel allows the city of Denver’s leadership to focus on delivering the high-quality services residents expect and deserve while navigating complex legal matters including federal government actions," wrote Melissa Sisneros, a spokesperson for the City Attorney's Office, in an email to Denverite.
Parady pointed to the Denver Immigrant Legal Services Fund, which was created in the first Trump administration to help immigrants facing deportation and other proceedings, as a righteous policy that is now under attack.
"We're going to continue to defend our entirely legal local policies, not to do the dirty work of deportation for the federal government, and not to ignore the overall overarching international human rights law that says that when people are fleeing really abysmal circumstances, they have a right to claim asylum," Parady said.
Why are Republicans accusing Denver and Colorado of being 'sanctuary' places?
State and local laws limit how the police can work with federal immigration forces. Cooperation is generally allowed in criminal cases, but officers can’t turn over people based on their immigration status alone.
The state also has approved changes such as making driver's licenses available for undocumented immigrants.
Editor’s note: This article was updated Feb. 20, 2025, to correct the planned date of Johnston’s hearing. It is March 5.
