Homicide rates in sanctuary city Denver drop by 58%, thanks to ICE crime crackdown

05/19/2025 / By Ramon Tomey

Denver saw a 58 percent drop in homicides in 2025, with killings falling from 30 in early 2024 to just 13, outpacing national crime trends.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas attributed the reduction to community partnerships and policing strategies that avoided over-policing, though public perception of safety remains low due to visible issues like drug use and theft.
Federal immigration enforcement – particularly ICE operations targeting violent gangs like Tren de Aragua – played a bigger role, with over 350 arrests in Denver. Critics argue this contradicts the city’s sanctuary policies.
While Trump administration officials tied the crime drop to aggressive deportations, Democratic leaders (Gov. Polis, Mayor Johnston) resisted, prompting a federal lawsuit over noncompliance with immigration laws.
Denver’s data fuels arguments over whether federal enforcement or local reforms drive safety, with independent journalists claiming Trump-era policies work but are downplayed by critics.

The sanctuary city of Denver has recorded a staggering drop of almost 60 percent in homicides so far in 2025 – one of the sharpest declines in violent crime nationwide.

The 58 percent decline in homicide rates was first disclosed by the Major Cities Chiefs Association in a report. The Mile High City’s homicide count fell from 30 in early 2024 to just 13 this year, outpacing national trends.

Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas credited collaborative policing and community partnerships for this feat. “We’ve been able to see these significant reductions in crime without over-policing communities,” he said.

According to Thomas, public perception of safety remains strained due to visible disorder, such as open drug use and retail theft. “Even though the numbers may be suggestive of lower crime, people’s experiences shape their sense of security,” the police chief continued.

But looking at it deeper, the decrease in Denver homicides can be attributed to the federal government getting serious with cracking down on illegal immigration and crime. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been aggressively launching operations targeting foreign criminals on American soil, including members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela. (Related: ICE begins NATIONWIDE raids targeting criminal illegal immigrants.)

ICE is doing a thankless job, as local Democratic leaders are opposing its efforts. These Democratic leaders argue that deporting these illegal immigrants runs contrary to the Mile High City’s sanctuary city designation. Federal officials beg to differ, however, arguing that deporting criminal migrants has been pivotal in restoring public safety.

ICE crackdown delivers results, pisses Democrats off

Critics, such as independent journalist Sara Carter, pointed to ICE’s role in the decline of homicides in Denver. She noted that the law enforcement agency made over 350 arrests in the Denver area, part of a broader crackdown by the second Trump administration.

Mike LaChance, another independent journalist, also remarked: “These are the kind of results that Democrats and the media don’t want the public to see.” According to him, the Democrats “don’t want people to know that we don’t have to live with rampant crime and that Trump’s policies work.”

Despite this, the political divide over immigration enforcement has intensified. While ICE prioritized Denver for removals, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston – both Democrats – resisted federal efforts. This prompted the Trump administration to sue the city and state for obstructing immigration laws.

As Denver’s crime stats fuel national debates, the city stands as a test case for whether federal enforcement or local reform drives safety – and whether ideological divides will yield to measurable results. For now, the numbers speak plainly: Fewer homicides, but a lingering battle over how to keep them down.

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Watch former ICE Denver Field Office Director John Fabbricatore praising his agency’s arrest of Tren de Aragua members in this Fox News interview.

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