DENVER — On May 15, 2026, a bankruptcy court judge ordered Aurora landlord Avi Schwalb to pay $182,900 in damages, after he threatened, intimidated, and harassed an immigrant family based on their perceived immigration status. This discriminatory conduct is explicitly forbidden under Colorado law. The court found that Schwalb’s blatant threats “showed malice, insult, and a wanton and reckless disregard for the plaintiffs’ rights and human dignity.”
“The court’s message is loud and clear: harassment, intimidation, and coercion of tenants based on their perceived immigration or citizenship status will not be tolerated in Colorado,” said Annie Kurtz, ACLU of Colorado senior staff attorney.
The ACLU of Colorado sued Avi Schwalb in January 2025 for violating Colorado's Immigrant Tenant Protection Act (ITPA). The ITPA forbids landlords from requesting information about a tenant’s immigration or citizenship status and disclosing or threatening to disclose such information to anyone, including immigration or law enforcement. It also forbids intimidating, harassing, or retaliating against a tenant for asserting their rights.
According to the lawsuit, Schwalb denigrated the family’s country of origin, threatened to call immigration authorities, changed their apartment locks without notice or legal proceedings, and violated other tenant protections. An Arapahoe County judge issued a temporary restraining order as soon as the case was filed, then a preliminary injunction in February 2025, barring Schwalb from continuing this harassment.
“Thanks to our clients who proceeded under the pseudonyms Jane Roe and John Doe, who came forward to hold their abusive landlord to account, despite great risk to themselves and their children, Colorado's protections for immigrant tenants have been reaffirmed,” said Emma Mclean-Riggs, ACLU of Colorado senior staff attorney.
“Tenants in Colorado have a right to a safe home without threats and abuse from their landlords. Today’s decision affirms that the right to a safe home does not hinge on a landlord’s prejudices,” said Kelly Reeves, Sue My Landlord, managing attorney.
The ACLU of Colorado lawsuit is not Avi Schwalb’s only instance of violating state law. In a separate case, Schwalb was criminally sentenced in April 2026 after defrauding dozens of customers in an organized crime scheme. Through Schwalb Builders, a contracting company owned by his son, Schwalb stole $1.4 million from homeowners across the Denver metro area. Schwalb filed for bankruptcy in May 2025.
In addition to Kurtz and Mclean-Riggs, the legal team includes ACLU of Colorado Senior Staff Attorney Sara Neel and Legal Director Timothy R. Macdonald. Cooperating counsel on the case include Alec P. Harris, Alexandra K. Lewis, Kyle E. Darch, and Maria J. Cho of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP and Kelly Reeves of Sue My Landlord, LLC.
Related Content
John Doe, et al. v. Schwalb, et al.
Stay Informed
Sign up to be the first to hear about how to take action.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.
By completing this form, I agree to receive occasional emails per the terms of the ACLU’s privacy statement.