Coloradoans should recognize there is no singular solution, expressing that balance “requires hope on our part.””

Joe Neguse

ALLENSPARK - On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the Allenspark Fire Protection District’s community room, Congressman Joe Neguse visited with the residents of Allenspark for an impromptu Town Hall meeting.

The meeting was a result of Rick Sullivan’s year-long persistence in advocating for Neguse to visit the small mountain town in Boulder County. Sullivan is a longtime resident of Allenspark and a veteran of the Army, now serving as a volunteer EMT and firefighter for the Allenspark Fire Protection District.

Over 60 community members attended the last-minute meeting, which had been scheduled only the day before. Attendees were asked to bring with them questions on paper that were then placed in a basket for Neguse to address in no particular order.

Pressed for time, Neguse shared a brief recap of his most recent experience in Washington. He reached into the basket, pulling out questions at random.

Most questions were concerning the state of our country as of January 2025. Before answering, Neguse reminded the attendees that there won’t always be great answers to questions.

When asked what he would suggest citizens do to tip the balance back to democracy, he immediately said Coloradoans should recognize there is no singular solution, expressing that balance “requires hope on our part.”

Neguse defined “hope” as faith, hard work, and sacrifice in order to change the course of events. He also encouraged residents to lift their voices together.

Another resident wanted to know what confidence Neguse could give citizens that Colorado and the rest of the nation aren’t “beyond repair.” He asked all in attendance to recall some of history’s events, including racial segregation.

“We’ve been here before,” said Neguse, emphasizing that change doesn’t happen overnight and that “we will rise from this” as Americans have risen from many other political challenges.

One of President Donald Trump’s goals is to remove transgender and nonbinary people from public life by restricting access to federal identity documents and threatening to withhold hospitals’ federal funding over gender-affirming care.

The Trump White House is working toward erasing trans history on federal websites and in schools, making it harder for trans Americans to live safely without fear of harassment and discrimination.

When Neguse was approached on this topic by a concerned mother of a transgender child, the Congressman answered by saying, “We see you. We hear you.” He stressed his belief that every human should be treated with respect, mentioning that there are representatives in Washington working to enact laws to safeguard the most vulnerable.

Approaching the end of the meeting, a question about Citizens United arose. The 2010 Citizens United decision removed restrictions on independent political spending on the grounds that such spending is a form of protected political speech under the First Amendment.

The ruling allowed for the creation of super PACs (Political Action Committees), which can accept unlimited contributions to fund political advertising without directly contributing to candidates or parties.

Many, along with Neguse, agreed that Citizens United will go down as one of the US Supreme Court's regrettable decisions, unleashing corruption in American democracy due to increased campaign spending, growing influence of corporate power in the political process, and erosion of campaign finance laws.

With its large population of senior citizens, Allenspark residents voiced concerns about healthcare changes, including Medicaid cuts. Aside from losing medical financial help, healthcare cuts would prove to have a destructive impact on rural hospitals, as Medicaid is a major source of revenue for these facilities, especially in underserved areas where Medicaid is the primary source of coverage for many residents.

The national debt and constitutional rights were briefly covered, but a large part of the attention in the room was redirected to the topic of deportation.

On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” executive order.

Under the expanded expedited removal policy, undocumented immigrants anywhere in the United States, possibly including those who were paroled into the country, who cannot prove they have resided in the U.S. for at least two years, will be subject to expedited deportation.

Many Afghans who worked for the United States during the war in Afghanistan face significant risks and threats from the Taliban now in power there, including being "marked for death." The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has left these individuals and their families vulnerable to Taliban retaliation.

What Allenspark residents wanted to know is, what about the immigrants who were granted protection status, the ones who are now “marked for death”—should they return to their country? Are Coloradoans and the entire nation expected to forget their loyalty to America?

As with many questions, Neguse could offer no easy answers, but he left the town with a few last-minute thoughts: If there was ever a time to step up and be proactive, it is now. To start the process of change, a community must lift its voice together.

As his staff took the remaining questions from the basket, Neguse promised the residents of Allenspark that he would return more often. He encouraged them to sign up for his weekly newsletter, asking them to contact his office with any questions or concerns.

Allenspark residents now want to know when the remaining and future questions will be addressed. Where and how can they find hope and strength to face the challenges not only of a small mountain community, but of the nation?

To learn more about Neguse, visit https://neguse.house.gov/. To receive updates from the Congressman, sign up for his weekly newsletter by visiting https://neguse.house.gov/services/subscribe-newsletter.