Douglas County, Colo. – The Douglas County Board of Health has unanimously voted to extend a public health order requiring organizations transporting immigrants into the county to disclose their health information to the Douglas County Health Department. The order was initially passed in December 2022 and was extended on Thursday as a precautionary measure.
The order mandates that any organization or individual bringing immigrants into the county must report their health information to the health department. This is intended to address potential and actual communicable disease and emergency situations within the county.
According to a statement from the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD), the order was initially a proactive measure when it was passed in December. While the board does not anticipate a significant influx of immigrants into Douglas County, DCHD Executive Director Michael Hill stated that extending the health order is still necessary “in the unlikely event that migrants are placed in Douglas County.”
The health order cites a “sufficient cause to believe” that the city and county of Denver has housed and may continue to house immigrants in facilities outside of the city and that immigrants are a particularly vulnerable population in terms of health concerns.
Since December 2022, nearly 40,000 immigrants — many of whom illegally crossed America’s southern border — have arrived in Denver, a sanctuary city where officials decided earlier in the crisis to provide shelter, feed, and transport immigrants to their final destination. Several jurisdictions surrounding Denver, including Douglas County, have adopted resolutions to distance themselves from the “sanctuary” jurisdiction label.