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The U.S. federal government holds exclusive authority to regulate immigration, including who may enter the country and under what conditions. Nevertheless, states can enact laws that impact immigrants and influence the enforcement of federal immigration laws, provided that these state laws do not conflict with federal law. This issue brief outlines current state and federal laws affecting immigration in Colorado, including immigration enforcement, the Office of New Americans, access to public services, health insurance coverage, and identification.

This issue brief describes major topics of interest related to immigration, and specifically regarding the enforcement of immigration laws and laws regarding the verification of a person's eligilibity to work in the United States.  The brief also describes legislative efforts in Colorado concerning these topics, the differences between state and federal immigration laws, and role the state plays in enforcing federal immigration laws.

In recent months, concern over the United States' immigration policies has prompted interest in immigration policy reform at both the state and federal levels. According to recent reports, there are anywhere from 11.5 to 12.0 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States.