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07_09_25_am_headlines Ainsley Coogan
ACLU Immigration Court Charges
The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado says Denver Immigration Court has engaged in a pattern of behavior meant to keep lawyers, legal observers and the public out of its courtrooms.
The Constitutional rights organization said the tactics used by the court have had the effect of obstructing, intimidating or otherwise restricting people who have a legal right to attend open court proceedings.
The ACLU outlined its accusations in a letter sent to Denver’s Chief Immigration Judge Matthew W. Kaufman. The letter, available on the nonprofit’s website, says the tactics go against the First Amendment, federal law and the longstanding principle that courthouses are open to the public.
The accusations against Denver Immigration Court include handcuffing and detaining legal observers without justification, denying legal observers entry to the courthouse without reason and preventing lawyers from advising people going through legal proceedings in the courthouse, according to the ACLU’s letter.
The ACLU characterized these allegations as an attack on the rule of law.
Fox31 says the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to comment on the ACLU accusations.
You can find a link to the ACLU’s letter on kgnu.org.
Boulder County mosquitoes West Nile positive
Boulder County has its first confirmed case of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes for the season. The mosquitoes that tested positive were collected from a site in Niwot East last week. It’s the only site where the virus has been found, so far.
BCPH says that the risk of West Nile Virus transmission is still present, even if the number of mosquitoes who have it are currently low. The mosquitoes that are the primary transmitters of the virus are most often active from dusk to dawn.
Since there is no specific treatment or vaccine for the virus, BCPH recommends that community members take preventative action by remembering to use insect repellent, wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors, limiting outdoor activity during peak mosquito hours and to remove standing water from around living areas to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
Symptoms of West Nile Virus include fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, rash and swollen lymph nodes. They generally appear three to 14 days after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Colorado may join energy emergency suit
Colorado may join in yet another lawsuit filed against the Trump administration.
The potential lawsuit would challenge the administration’s declaration of a national energy emergency, made in January. The administration invoked that declaration last week in order to allow an accelerated environmental review of a permit to expand an oil loading facility in Utah, according to Colorado Newsline.
The Bureau of Land Management approved the request, saying the expansion poses no significant impact to the environment.
Colorado Newsline says the expansion would increase the amount of oil on the main rail line through Colorado by up to 80,000 barrels a day.
Colorado opposes the expansion because of increased train derailments, and other environmental hazards. State Attorney General Phil Weiser says that furthermore, there is no national energy emergency, and that the United States produced record amounts of oil last year.
Westword magazine says Colorado has already sued the Trump administration at least twenty-four times since Trump took office in January.
RMNP campsite reopens
Moraine Campground in Rocky Mountain National Park reopened after two years on Tuesday for a two-week test period. The site was closed in 2023 for a modernization project.
In the two-week period, park staff will be testing new water and waterwaste systems. As soon as the tests are complete, more camping reservations will be released.
The construction project relocated campsites away from wetlands, replaced any failed water and sewage lines, buried three miles of power lines and created 17 accessible campsites.
Heat Advisory
Today is expected to be one of the hottest days of the year so far along the Front Range. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory from ten o’clock this morning until nine tonight. Temperatures this afternoon are expected to be near a hundred degrees.
Boulder County Health reminds everyone to drink plenty of water, even if you aren’t thirsty. Use air conditioning if it’s available, and try to avoid strenuous activity. It’s also a good idea to check on frail or older folks who may be at risk, and be aware of pets. At-risk groups also include children, people who work outside and people with chronic medical conditions.
