Lone Tree Judge Threatens to Call ICE on Defendant in Courtroom

This summer, a municipal judge in Lone Tree improperly warned a defendant that the court would report him to federal immigration authorities, an unusual move that drew condemnation from immigrant rights groups and lawyers.

On July 18, Judge Lou Gresh, advising a man accused of shoplifting, said that “we report all illegal immigrants to ICE for deportation because shoplifting is a deportable offense under federal law,” according to court records , reviewed by The Denver Post.

Michelle Aronowitz, an attorney who was in the courtroom that day, said she looked around, unsure if she had heard the judge correctly. According to her, never in her career had she heard a judge utter such words from the bench.

“There was definitely some implicit bias and implicit racism going on,” she said in an interview. “This was definitely one of the most horrific municipal court cases I have ever experienced as an attorney.”

Gresh, through a city spokesman, declined to be interviewed for this article.

The city said in a statement that Lone Tree does not contact immigration authorities regarding those charged in municipal court. The judge that day must have erred in citing the city’s recommendation to ensure that all defendants understand that a conviction or guilty plea could have consequences for their immigration status, said Melissa Gallegos, a city spokeswoman.

Nicole Cervera Loy, Policy and Campaigns Manager at Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalitioncalled the judge’s remarks a “gross abuse of judicial power” and said the city should immediately investigate his conduct.

“The actions taken were deeply inappropriate and undermine the justice system,” Loy said. “The courtroom should be a place where justice is served, not a place where people feel intimidated or afraid.”

Many judges and lawyers told The Post they had never heard a judge say they would report defendants in the courtroom to immigration authorities.