President Donald Trump signed many executive orders on his first day in office, and these orders have had various effects, including on Colorado. While some of these changes apply broadly across the United States, Colorado Democrats have worked to protect their state from some of the more sweeping measures.
One of the key executive orders, “Securing Our Borders,” focuses on immigration and introduces several major changes. It calls for the construction of a border wall, eliminates “catch and release,” and ends the use of the CBP One app for scheduling appointments. In response, Colorado passed a law in 2019, signed by Governor Jared Polis, that limits the cooperation of state and local law enforcement with federal immigration authorities.
The law prohibits law enforcement from assisting federal immigration agents with civil matters or sharing information about people wanted by immigration officials. However, if there is a federal warrant related to a crime, local law enforcement can still assist.
Another significant executive order is focused on energy. Under this order, the United States declared a national energy emergency, and another order, “Unleashing American Energy,” calls for increasing oil and gas production from federal lands. During his first term, President Trump frequently emphasized the need to “drill, baby, drill.” In Colorado, the impact of this policy shift was mixed.
Oil production on federal lands fluctuated during Trump’s presidency but began increasing under former President Biden’s administration. In fact, in 2023, Colorado ranked as the fourth-highest state in oil production from federal lands. When it comes to natural gas, production dropped at the end of Trump’s first term, partly due to the pandemic, and has continued to decline during Biden’s term. Nevertheless, Colorado was still the third-highest gas-producing state on federal lands in 2023.
On the issue of gender, Trump issued an executive order declaring that only two genders, male and female, would be officially recognized by the U.S. government. This order could impact federal policies, including U.S. passports, which may no longer include the option for a non-binary “X” gender. However, this federal policy doesn’t change anything in Colorado.
The state allows people to select from male, female, or “X” on state-issued identification cards, including driver’s licenses. In 2019, Governor Polis signed a law that made it easier to change gender markers on birth certificates in Colorado without needing a court order. This means Coloradans can update their birth certificates to reflect their gender as male, female, “X,” or intersex, and this will remain unaffected by Trump’s federal order.
In summary, while Trump’s executive orders have had significant impacts on various policies, Colorado has worked to shield its residents from some of these changes, particularly in areas related to immigration, energy production, and gender identity. The state’s actions have allowed it to maintain its own policies, even in the face of federal shifts.
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