Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, has joined other mayors in promising to protect illegal immigrants from mass deportation efforts. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to use local authorities and possibly the military to carry out a mass deportation effort of illegal immigrants across the country.

Several sanctuary cities say they will not aid President-elect Donald Trump with the mass deportations he has vowed to carry out once he gets to the White House. City leaders say that Trump does not have the authority to force local law enforcement to comply with the deportations.

Denver's Democratic mayor said he plans to resist President-elect Donald Trump's efforts to deport thousands of immigrants unlawfully staying in Colorado's most populous city, suggesting he would station police forces at the county line to keep out federal forces.

Mike Johnston believes citizens will participate in "civil disobedience," and he is willing to go to jail to stop deportation efforts he believes are illegal.