Denver’s top officials on Thursday sent a letter to the local federal immigration office warning that its officers’ actions are jeopardizing public safety by creating fear among immigrants when agents appear in courthouses and schools.

The letter specifically addresses U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents’ appearances at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse to make arrests and a March 14 raid near Colorado High School Charter in west Denver where federal agents wore black uniforms identifying themselves as police as parents were dropping students off at school.

“Identifying yourselves as ‘police’ confuses and erodes the trust between our local police and the immigrant community endangering the community at large,” the letter said. “Again, Denver’s concerns in this regard are being increasingly expressed by city leaders and local law enforcement officials elsewhere in the United States.”

The letter was signed by Mayor Michael Hancock and all 13 members of Denver City Council, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg, presiding Denver County Court Judge Theresa Spahn, District Attorney Beth McCann and City Attorney Kristin Bronson. It was addressed to Jeffrey D. Lynch, acting field officer director at the ICE office in Centennial. ICE officials could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The letter represents escalating resistance among Denver’s leaders to federal pressure to help enforce immigration laws. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said his agency will withhold federal money from those it determines are so-called sanctuary cities.

ICE already has listed the Denver Justice Center, which is home to the Downtown Detention Center and the courthouse, on its list of law enforcement agencies it designates as uncooperative.

In early January, after President Trump took office, Hancock offered a legalistic response to threats to crack down on people living in the country illegally.

After pressure from the city’s immigrant and refugee community, Hancock reinforced his position through a video where he welcomed the “sanctuary city” label. Since then, the mayor has hosted community forums and stood by his police and sheriff’s department’s stances that they will not enforce federal immigration laws.

This time, Hancock has powerful backing from the school superintendent and leaders in the criminal justice system.

Members of Denver’s immigrant and refugee community welcomed the letter.

“The mayor is listening to his constituents, especially in marginalized communities and communities of color,” said Rudy Gonzales, co-chairman of the Denver chapter of the Colorado Latino Forum. “It’s a strong first step in restoring trust in local communities. There’s more to do.”

Since Trump took office, rumors have swirled through the immigrant community about road blocks and raids, Gonzales said. People have stayed away from schools, courtrooms and even health care providers out of fear, he said.

“Our communities are in a full-blown panic and fear mode,” he said.

In February, immigration attorneys for the Meyer Law Office captured video footage of ICE agents, who were dressed in plainclothes, as they waited to arrest someone inside the halls of the Lindsey-Flanigan courthouse. Lawyers made the video public, exacerbating the fear, Gonzales said.

In the March 14 ICE raid, agents notified Denver’s 911 dispatch that they would be conducting an operation in the neighborhood near the school. A large immigrant population lives in the area, the letter said.

ICE agents started their work in the morning when parents would be taking students to school, and videos circulated in the community showed agents wearing clothes with “police” printed in large block letters and ICE printed smaller. That led residents to believe Denver police were conducting raids, the letter said.

“The hour and location of this action potentially put children, staff and parents in danger should your agents have encountered resistance, and clearly caused alarm to the principal and community served by the school,” the letter said.

The letter went on to ask ICE to refrain from future enforcement near schools.

In a statement, Boasberg said the race, ethnicity and immigration should not be barriers to a child’s education.

“We urge ICE to respect our schools as sensitive locations so that our students know they are safe,” Boasberg said. “When they are confident in their safety, they will be more successful as students and their success as students is so vital to our shared success as a community.”

The city’s letter comes on the heels of a statement by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesman saying the agency would not guarantee that immigrants living in the United States illegally wouldn’t be arrested if they came forward as crime victims or witnesses.

City Attorney Kristin Bronson said local ICE supervisors should continue to operate under 2011 guidance that gives them discretion in where to conduct enforcement actions. Courthouses, schools, hospitals and churches typically were off limits.

“The city attorney’s office has experienced firsthand the chilling effect that enforcement actions in sensitive areas like local courthouse have on the willingness of victims and witnesses to violent crime to cooperate with the police and prosecutors,” Bronson said.

Read the letter: