AURORA | Aurora Democratic Rep. Jason Crow’s town hall Wednesday night had fewer participants in the audience than other recent meetings, but participants said they felt like there was more hope.
“The good news is I’m here and not currently incarcerated by the Trump administration,” Crow said in his introduction.
During the two-hour event at Hinkley High School, Crow fielded questions on veterans’ benefits, immigration detention oversight, threats to research funding, media freedom and the role of the military in domestic affairs.
Crow has been among a small group of Democrats making headlines recently as targets of the Trump administration.
A grand jury in Washington last week refused to indict Crow and other Democratic lawmakers in connection with a video in which they urged U.S. military members to resist “illegal orders,” according to a person familiar with the matter.
“Donald Trump’s DOJ just tried — and failed — to indict me in front of a grand jury,” Crow said in a statement last week. “Americans should be furious that Trump and his goons tried to weaponize our justice system again against his political opponents. His attempts to intimidate and silence us will always fail.”
The Justice Department opened an investigation into a video featuring Crow, Democratic Sens. Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin and three other Democratic lawmakers urging U.S. service members to follow established military protocols and reject orders they believe to be unlawful. All the lawmakers previously served in the military or at intelligence agencies.
Grand jurors in Washington declined to sign off on charges in the latest of a series of rebukes of prosecutors by citizens in the nation’s capital, according to the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter. It wasn’t immediately clear whether prosecutors had sought indictments against all six lawmakers or what charge or charges prosecutors attempted to bring.
On Wednesday night, Crow said again that he would not turn away from the fray.
“It is my job as a member of Congress to make sure that the executive branch follows the law, that the military follows the law and that federal law enforcement follows the law,” Crow said. “Our service members’ allegiance is to the Constitution, not any one person.”
He described the move by Trump as an attempt to “send a message” that dissent will be punished, and if you exercise your First Amendment rights, if you organize, you protest, and you mobilize, that you’ll be crushed.”
“We are not going to stop, we’re not going to back down from this,” he said.
People from the audience were selected at random by a numbered system to ask questions. One of the first questions asked was about what punishments can be given to those “changing democracy.”
Crow said he is not focused on vengeance, but on accountability, which is always helpful in healing a nation when leaders break the law, and that accountability will be based in the legal systems of government.
“The comeback is starting,” Crow said. “It’s starting. The tide is turning. You see what’s happening around the country. The sentiment is shifting. The tide is turning. People are engaging in a significant way. So I think our comeback is happening.”
What about ICE?
One questioner asked what Crow is doing about the conditions of immigration detention in Colorado.
Crow filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security last year for allegedly limiting congressional access to immigration detention centers, including the GEO ICE facility in Aurora. He recently obtained a temporary restraining order allowing him to conduct oversight visits without having to give extended notice.
There are 70,000 people in immigration detention around the country, over 100 over 150 Americans, US citizens, have been unlawfully arrested, detained, and some deported, Crow said.
“There have been over 30 deaths in ICE custody in 2025, which is the highest level in two decades,” Crow said, “And abuses that we see with our own eyes.”
Crow called the situation “an assault on the Constitution.” He is currently supporting Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, in an effort to ban private immigration detention centers nationwide, and he said that “a profit motive for detaining human beings leads to bad outcomes.”
Crow asked constituents to share with his office any specific detainee cases they are concerned about so staff can pursue privacy waivers and follow up directly.
Palantir
Midway through the town hall, a crowd member had a loud outburst, confronting Crow about taking donations from Palantir, which develops data integration and analytics platforms that enable government agencies, militaries, and corporations to combine and analyze data from multiple sources.
Some of this data has been used by ICE for immigration enforcement. Crow said last week, along with John Hickenlooper, he will turn all donations from Palantir to charities, according to reporting in the Colorado Sun.
The tech company has become a controversial topic for many in Colorado. Many critics question the company’s ethics and its surveillance capabilities.
The company announced Feb. 17 that it will be moving its headquarters to Miami to avoid protests, strict artificial intelligence regulations, and to reduce tax burdens.
Veterans Support
Another question came from a veteran who was worried about proposed VA rule changes and wanted to know Crow’s position.
A local Veterans of Foreign Wars member asked about a new preliminary rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs that could reduce disability ratings and, ultimately, benefits.
Crow said he “would fiercely oppose” any effort to retroactively cut benefits. He said he would also pledge oversight of the Rocky Mountain Veteran Affairs hospital in Aurora, with federal workforce reductions affecting veterans.
“If you raise your right hand and serve, we have a moral obligation to take care of you and your family,” he said.
Medical research funding
An attendee who said she was a medical startup founder and is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation said that grants are being frozen and that employees may face layoffs.
She asked what could be done about research funding cuts.
Crow called NIH “one of the best investments the American taxpayer makes,” because of research it creates an economic impact, stating that every dollar that is invested creates more than $3 of economic activity.
He said he is “fighting hard to preserve what’s there” in NIH funding and is working to build bipartisan support to protect funding streams and to stabilize visa programs for international researchers working on campuses such as the Anschutz Medical Campus.
“We’re trying to create a coalition to protect that funding stream for you and thousands of others,” he said.
Right-to-repair and consumer protections
An auto repair shop employee said he has had increasing difficulty accessing parts and software and asked Crow for help.
Crow said he supports “right to repair” legislation to ensure consumers and independent shops can access parts and diagnostic tools. He also criticized Pentagon procurement contracts that prevent in-house or field repairs, calling the system “wasteful and inefficient.”
Alternative State of the Union
One audience member, who said he was supposed to ask a question for his wife but changed his mind, asked if Crow would be participating in an alternative State of the Union and join an alternative Democratic response.
Crow said he plans both to participate in an alternative address and to attend the official speech on the House floor.
“You elected me to sit on that floor, to vote and to bear witness,” he said.
Midterms and what Democrats can do
Attendees wanted to know what Democrats can do for the midterm elections, fearful that waiting until the election might be too late, given how quickly the Trump Administration is changing things.
Crow said Democrats must “hold firm, avoid appeasement,” and use every tool available, such as litigation, oversight, appropriations, public organizing and media engagement.
“Bullies punch down,” he said emphasizing the power of grassroots mobilization. “There’s strength in numbers.”
Crow said that Democrats must counter what he described as a “flood the zone” information strategy, which is overwhelming the public with misleading or inflammatory information, with facts and consistent messaging, but without abandoning democratic norms, such as breaking laws, lying or attacking institutional norms. He also said that people should not stop paying taxes as a form of protest for the current administration.
Freedom of the press
One audience member asked about the media consolidation of 9News and freedom of the press, along with cuts to organizations such as NPR and overseas organizations such as Radio Free Europe.
Crow said he is co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Chris Murphy, dubbed the No Political Enemies Act, which would allow individuals and entities to sue if federal action is taken against them for political reasons.
Broader democracy reform legislation is being drafted to strengthen guardrails at agencies such as the FCC and the Federal Election Commission, he said.
“Consumers have power too,” he said, urging constituents to consider how they “vote with their wallet.”
The military and its role
A veteran asked about National Guard deployments and the legality of certain military actions.
Crow said there were three categories of concern: presidential authority to act without Congress, whether operations are conducted lawfully and the domestic use of troops.
Drawing on his experience as a combat veteran, Crow said he believes it is essential to train service members on lawful orders and constitutional obligations.
“We’re having that conversation publicly about what we expect our military to do,” he said.
“Courage Is Contagious”
Closing the evening, Crow acknowledged the risks facing democratic institutions but stayed optimistic.
“We are in great danger, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “There’s a path through it.”
While fear can spread quickly, “courage is a lot more contagious,” he said. With organizing, oversight and what he called “relentless” work to protect free and fair elections, Crow said he believes the country will “recapture our democracy.”
“I believe we will get through this, and I do believe that,” he said. “I don’t believe it’s a given. I don’t believe it’s going to happen on its own, and that it’s inevitable. I do believe you can remain in danger as a society, as a democracy, but there is a path. A path that’s widening because, as I indicated earlier, the tide is turning.”