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Denver Sheriff Ending Immigration Detainers

DENVER (AP) - Denver is joining other Colorado counties no longer honoring requests from federal immigration authorities to continue to detain someone once they're eligible to be released from their original charges.

Denver Sheriff Gary Wilson said in a statement Wednesday to The Associated Press that the change is effective immediately, due to "the changing legal landscape."

Recent court decisions in Oregon and Pennsylvania found that such detainer requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement are not commands that local jurisdictions have to abide by. That means local governments can be liable for due-process violations for holding someone past the time when they would otherwise be released.

The rulings have prompted several Colorado sheriffs, and others nationwide, to stop complying with ICE detainer requests unless there's a pending criminal warrant.

RELATED: Some Colorado Sheriffs Ending Immigrant Detainers

(© Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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