Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.) on Monday linked what he called “sanctuary state” policy in his state to the recent attack in Boulder.
During an interview on NewsNation’s “The Hill,” a clip was shown from a Monday press conference on the attack in which Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said that the suspect “was not on our radar in Boulder.”
“We don’t — we had no prior contacts with him here,” he added. “I don’t and can’t speak to his criminal history, I’m not sure if the special agent in charge has anything to add, but this was not someone we were aware of prior.”
“How?” NewsNation’s Blake Burman questioned Evans
“Yeah. And here’s why I’m frustrated, because one of the major points of the 9/11 Commission, which says, ‘How do we prevent major terrorist attacks from happening in the United States again?’ says that federal, state and local law enforcement have to be able to work together and share information,” Evans told Burman on “The Hill.”
“Unfortunately, Colorado is a sanctuary state where our governor, just within the last month, signed into a law another bill that fines state and local law enforcement $50,000 if they share information with immigration and customs,” he added. “We know this guy overstayed two visas. We know this guy is illegally present in the United States, and that makes him off limits for any information sharing between state and local law enforcement with their federal authorities.
In 2019, according to Courthouse News Service, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a law practically barring arrests by local law enforcement for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Polis also recently signed a bill barring people’s personal information from being given to federal immigration authorities by local governments, according to The Washington Post.
Mohamed Soliman, who is alleged to be behind the recent Boulder attack, was said on Sunday by the White House to be an “illegal alien” who overstayed his visa.
“A terror attack was committed in Boulder, Colorado by an illegal alien,” Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, said previously on the social platform X.
“He was granted a tourist visa by the Biden Administration and then he illegally overstayed that visa. In response, the Biden Administration gave him a work permit. Suicidal migration must be fully reversed,” he continued.
The Hill has reached out to Polis’s office for comment.