Sanctuary Mayor Used Encryption App To Discuss Migrant Crisis With Staff

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston used an encryption app to discuss the city’s illegal migrant crisis with numerous staff members as President Donald Trump returned to the White House, a scheme that allowed them to avoid public oversight.

Johnston and 14 of his advisors, lawyers and appointees communicated through Signal, an end-t0-end encryption app that auto-deletes messages, according to CBS News Colorado. Exchanging messages in a group nicknamed “Strike Force,” Johnston and his cohort of employees discussed how to manage the influx of illegal migrants entering Denver, which strained city resources and escalated into a full-blown crisis during the Biden administration.

In a statement to the outlet confirming use of the encryption app, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office appeared to blame the Trump administration for the move.

“When President Trump took office in January, it was clear that there would be rapidly developing changes to the way the federal government interacts with cities that could have significant impacts on how Denver operates,” spokesperson Jordan Fuja said to CBS News Colorado. “The particular group was started in January for internal staff to easily keep track of and share information regarding federal actions that impact Denver under the new administration.”

Fuja said the Strike Force’s auto-deletion retained messages for four weeks between Jan. 15 to Jan. 24, and then the group disabled the deletion function entirely on Jan. 29.

Launched more than a decade ago, Signal serves as a messaging app that encrypts users’ communication. Texts and other messages automatically delete after a specified amount of time, erasing from memory in as quickly as 30 seconds to as long as several weeks.

Government employees using encrypted apps to communicate has become an increasing issue in the U.S.