DENVER (KKTV) – In an announcement of a number of reforms on Thursday, U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler announced that the SBA regional offices in multiple cities, including Denver, would be relocated in the coming months.
According to the SBA, the relocations will occur in cities that they said “do not comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” The locations include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City and Seattle, and officials said the offices will be relocated to “less costly, more accessible locations that better serve the small business community and comply with federal immigration law.”
The Small Business Administration provides guidance and resources to small businesses, including loans and disaster relief.
As of the Thursday announcement, the SBA had not said exactly where the new offices would be moved to. In recent weeks, Representative Jeff Crank has called for the movement of the Denver office to Colorado Springs.
In a letter sent to Loeffler in February, Crank touted the benefits of a relocation to Colorado Springs, calling the city home to some of the most cutting-edge small businesses in the nation.
“They are constantly creating breakthroughs in aerospace and cyber innovation, are key participants in our defense industrial base, and are essential to the American resurgence we are seeing under President Trump,” he wrote.
In an interview with 11 News, Crank said the change presents a good opportunity for the city.
“What I don’t want is somebody else to try and come along and get it,” he said. “There is a city, just down the road in Colorado Springs that is complying with the law and that’s where we ought to put it.”
When asked about how the move could affect operations and employees currently in Denver, Crank said no city is entitled to federal funds or federal jobs.
“There is no reason why if Denver would like to keep the SBA, they couldn’t just comply and just start working with ICE,” he said. “The law is clear and we need states, localities to enforce the law and to comply with the law, and that’s all we’re asking.”
Denver’s mayor has disputed the city’s “sanctuary city” label.
During a sometimes contentious hearing on Capitol Hill Wendesday, Mike Johnston did not directly give a yes or no answer when asked if Denver was a sanctuary city, and said he believes people use the term differently.
11 News has reached out to Sen. John Hickenlooper and Sen. Michael Bennet about the SBA’s decision to move its regional office out of Denver. We will let you know when we get a response.
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