Headlines Friday, July 3, 2026
Appeals court rules ICE detainees in Colorado must have bail hearings
A Denver appeals court ruled that many immigrants held in ICE custody must receive a bail hearing before proceeding with detention and deportation.
In July of last year, ICE issued guidance denying all illegal immigrants held in ICE custody should be denied a bail hearing. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver ruled this guidance is unlawful.
Rigoberto Santillan-Quiroz was ordered to be released after being detained by ICE last year. Rigoberto had been married to a U.S. citizen and living in the U.S. legally for two decades before being detained.
The likelihood that someone will be denied bond or have a bond hearing scheduled is high – a research group at the University of Denver found that in more than 76% of cases, a detainee was denied bond.
The barrier has been enforced by ICE officials instructing officers to argue in immigration court that detainees facing deportation are not eligible to be released on bond if they entered the U.S. illegally.
State wildfire update
Wildfires are burning tens of thousands of acres across the Mountain West — and some have zero percent containment.
The fast start to the summer fire season means that federal firefighting resources are stretched thin, like complex incident management teams that respond to bigger fires.
Camille Stevens-Rumann, a former wildland firefighter and wildfire ecologist at Colorado State University, says local firefighters could run into issues when asking for these teams and resources.
She says firefighter fatigue and safety is also a concern, but that will likely be a more serious problem later in the summer.
A survey done by nonprofit Grassroots Wildland Firefighters and the National Federation of Federal Employees found that three out of four wildland firefighters had considered quitting their job over the last year.
Joe Neguse, a Colorado Democrat, says the Trump administration’s budget and staffing cuts have added to low morale.
The federal government says its firefighting workforce is fully staffed, but it has fired thousands of other employees at agencies like the BLM and Forest Service that would normally play critical support roles during big fires.
It’s also not yet clear how an attempted reorganization of federal wildland firefighting services has impacted resources and personnel across the West.
This story was reported by Rocky Mountain Community Radio.
Polis fires two clemency board members over Peters dispute
Governor Polis has fired two members of Colorado’s clemency board after they spoke out against his decision to shorten the sentence of Tina Peters.
The two members are Denver-based attorneys Hannah Seigel Proff (SEE-gull PROF) and Azra Taslimi (AHZ-rah TAH-slee-mee). They objected to Polis’ decision and wrote a Denver Post op-ed last month, revealing that the board had unanimously rejected Peters’ requests for early release twice.
They also told The New York Times that Polis’s decision was motivated by politics and influence. Polis says they were fired for violating confidentiality essential to the clemency process.
This story was reported by the Colorado Capitol News Alliance.
Federal judge blocks CO prescription drug price cap
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Colorado’s price cap on certain prescription drugs.
The court order, issued by District Judge Daniel D. Domenico, blocks a price cap on Enbrel, a prescription drug for treating rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions.
Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board issued the price cap after deciding Enbrel was unaffordable. It was the first time a state had put a price cap on a specific drug, but the Trump-appointed judge ruled that the cap is probably against legal precedent and federal patent law.
The judge’s order blocking the price cap will remain in effect while a lawsuit by the maker of Enbrel works its way through court.
GOP governor primary still too close to call
As of this morning, the race for Colorado’s Republican governor primary is still too close to call. With an estimated 97% of votes in, and over 515 THOUSAND votes counted, Victor Marx leads State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer in the race by .39%. This comes down to a couple thousand votes.
The results are expected as early as this afternoon, but could be pushed to this weekend.
Fourth of July fireworks
As we head into the holiday weekend, the ongoing drought and wildfires have led some communities to cancel their annual fireworks displays. Parts of the state are under Red Flag warnings, and Boulder County issued a Stage 2 fire restriction in some areas earlier this week. Those restrictions include bans on open fires, like campfires, and on the personal use of fireworks.
But there are still traditional fireworks displays scheduled in several local communities, as the nation marks its 250th birthday. Fireworks are scheduled for tonight, the day before Independence Day, at Erie Community Park in Erie. Food trucks and other vendors will be there starting at 6pm, with fireworks expected around 9pm.
And tomorrow, on the Fourth, fireworks are scheduled in Louisville at the Coal Creek Golf Course. They’ve also got festivities beginning at 6pm, with the fireworks due around 9pm.
Also tomorrow night, there’s a fireworks display in Broomfield at Broomfield County Commons Park. That one starts at 9:15.
Colorado is marking its 150th birthday this year, and the city of Longmont is marking its 155th. The city is celebrating with a new fireworks and drone show. Longmont’s recreation program coordinator said that with all those birthdays, turning the city’s Independence Weekend into a larger celebration felt right.
Longmont’s drone and fireworks show is tomorrow night, beginning at 9:15.
There are also Independence Day events, without fireworks, in Denver, Jamestown, Niwot, and other communities.
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