ICE Wants Drivers License Data; Tina Peters Transfer Denied; National Park Fees for Foreigners; Ski Area Opening Delays

Headlines Thursday November 27, 2025

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    ICE Wants Drivers License Data; Tina Peters Transfer Denied; National Park Fees for Foreigners; Ski Area Opening Delays KGNU News

Homeland Security and ICE Want State Drivers License Data

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security wants to access the driver’s license data of states, including Colorado.

According to Colorado Newsline, Trump officials have been using Homeland Security’s SAVE program — which stands for Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements to search for alleged noncitizen voters. SAVE was originally created to help state and local governments verify immigration status for noncitizens seeking government benefits on a case-by-case basis. But the program can now scan state voter rolls in bulk.

Now, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, (ICE) wants to link its data-sharing network to SAVE. The states of Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York and Washington, with Oregon soon to follow, have blocked the ability of that network to share driver’s license records with ICE. Now Colorado state Sen. Julie Gonzales says she wants to advance legislation that would do the same.

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Tina Peters Transfer Denied

The Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) has issued a statement Tuesday night saying they refuse to grant the Trump Administration request to move Former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters.

Peters was sentenced to nine years in state prison, La Vista Correctional Facility in Pueblo, after providing unauthorized access to voting equipment during the 2020 election. Earlier this month, the director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons requested Peters’ transfer, the Denver Post said the intent behind the request was unclear.

The statement from the DOC denying the request comes as elected officials throughout the state were calling on Governor Jared Polis to deny the request made by the Federal Bureau of Prisons – the Polis administration has not responded since the Department of Corrections made their decision.

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New National Parks Fee for Foreigners

On Tuesday, the Trump Administration announced a new policy that will require foreign visitors to pay an extra $100 to visit 11 of the most visited US National Parks, including Rocky Mountain National Park.

The so-called “America First” fee, which goes into effect Jan. 1, will also make it free for US residents to visit national parks on seven holidays in 2026. The money from the new fees will go back into park facilities and other aspects of the park. National parks and monuments saw over 14 million international visitors in 2018, according to the US Travel Association.

A spokesperson for Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade said they will be monitoring the impacts of the new fee.

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Ski Area Opening Delays 

Several Colorado ski resorts are delaying their openings – or having to open only limited terrain – because there’s not enough snow. The Daily Camera reports that Beaver Creek and Telluride, which were both scheduled to open this week, are postponing their opening. Telluride says it’s hoping to open next weekend, Dec. 6.

Crested Butte, Granby Ranch, Aspen, and Snowmass all opened this week – but with limited terrain. Colorado ski resorts are experiencing the lowest snowpack in the state since the winter of 1986. But OpenSnow predicts 5-7 inches of snow this weekend across those various resorts.

Boulder County’s lower elevation areas, like Boulder and Longmont, will likely see their first snowfall of the season this weekend, which will beat the record for latest first snow since at least 1948.

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You can hear daily headlines on the Morning Magazine, KGNU’s weekday morning show with coverage of local and regional public affairs and news with headlines and commentary. Click here to listen to full episodes of the Morning Magazine.

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