Colorado’s immigrant population has grown dramatically over the past decade. In 2024, approximately 600,000 foreign-born residents call Colorado home, representing about 10% of the state’s population. The fastest growth has come from South America, particularly Venezuela and Colombia, following a wave of asylum seekers that brought over 43,000 new arrivals to Denver between late 2022 and 2024. Beyond recent arrivals, Colorado has long-established immigrant communities from Mexico, Guatemala, and other Latin American countries concentrated in Denver, Aurora, Commerce City, and along the agricultural corridors of Greeley and Fort Collins.
Immigrants are woven into the fabric of Colorado’s economy: working in construction, hospitality, agriculture (particularly in the Eastern Plains and San Luis Valley), healthcare, and technology. The tech sector in Boulder and Denver employs thousands of H-1B and employment-based visa holders, while seasonal agriculture in Weld and Larimer counties relies heavily on H-2A workers and long-term immigrant labor.
Aftalion Law Group provides full immigration representation to Colorado residents throughout Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Thornton, Arvada, Westminster, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Greeley, and every corner of the state through secure remote services.
Colorado’s immigration cases are handled by the Denver Immigration Court, located in the Byron Rogers Federal Building in downtown Denver. The scale of Colorado’s immigration court crisis is severe and well-documented. Between fiscal years 2022 and 2024, the Colorado immigration court backlog exploded from approximately 18,000 cases to over 78,000, a more than fourfold increase in two years. That growth was driven largely by the arrival of Venezuelan and other South American asylum seekers transported to Denver on buses from Texas.
By 2024, Colorado had approximately 7,116 pending cases per immigration judge one of the highest ratios in the country, and only 15% of people in Colorado’s immigration court had legal representation, among the lowest rates nationally. Research from the Colorado Fiscal Institute found that immigrants without a lawyer in Colorado are 60% more likely to receive a deportation order, and a review of cases closed between 1997 and 2024 showed that 85% of people who fought their cases alone ended up being ordered removed.
For detained cases, the Aurora Immigration Court at the Aurora Contract Detention Facility (GEO Group, 3130 N Oakland St, Aurora) handles an entirely separate docket for individuals held in ICE custody. Cases at Aurora’s detention court operate on accelerated timelines. Colorado also participates in the state-funded Immigration Legal Defense Fund, which has grown to $700,000 for fiscal year 2024/2025, still insufficient for the scale of need. Understanding the Denver court’s procedures, how to change court venue if you were assigned a court in another state, and how to navigate the backlog strategically are all areas where experienced legal counsel provides a concrete, measurable advantage.
Denver County (Denver)
El Paso County (Colorado Springs)
Arapahoe County (Aurora)
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Whether you reside in an urban center or a rural community, our team can provide the immigration guidance you need.
At Aftalion Law Group, we offer a full spectrum of immigration services for Colorado residents, including:
Priority practice areas for Colorado residents include asylum (particularly for Venezuelan, Colombian, Guatemalan, and Mexican applicants navigating Denver’s backlogged docket), removal defense, DACA, family-based immigration, and employment-based immigration for the Boulder and Denver technology and biotech corridors. Federal Mandamus actions have become increasingly valuable for Colorado clients whose cases have stalled in USCIS processing.
Immigration rules are constantly being updated. Stay ahead of the curve by visiting our blog, where we publish timely updates and helpful insights for Colorado residents and beyond.
Immigration law in Colorado requires local knowledge, court awareness, and strategic preparation. Contact Aftalion Law Group today for a free case evaluation. We are ready to help you and your family move forward with confidence.
