Recently, a large group of undocumented immigrants sent Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) a long list of demands after refusing to vacate their camp and move into tax-funded shelters. KDVR report.
Denver Human Services has been trying to move undocumented immigrants to shelter-in-place shelters, but the group has repeatedly rejected the offer. Instead, people set up tents under bridges along the railroad tracks.
“We are not criminals and will not be treated as such,” wrote a group of immigrants who entered the country illegally.
“We’ve been offering time and shelter, but we’re basically just trying to get families to come out of camp and come inside,” John Ewing with Denver Human Services told KDVR. ” he said.
Ewing explained that the taxpayer-funded shelter provides “three meals a day” and allows undocumented immigrants to cook their own meals if they wish. Additionally, individuals who choose to stay in a shelter are often provided assistance with applying for a work permit.
The group’s advocate, V. Reeves, told the press that the illegal immigrants “collectively came up with a list of demands.”
The letter sent to the mayor lists 13 demands that the city must agree to before illegal immigrants can be willingly taken off the streets and into shelters.
According to KDVR, the requests included:
1. Migrants prepare their own meals using fresh, culturally appropriate ingredients provided by the city instead of ready-made meals such as rice, chicken, flour, oil, butter, tomatoes, and onions. Also, you will not be penalized for bringing food or drinks into your home. food outside.
2. Access to the shower is unlimited and can be accessed at any time. We are civilians, not military personnel.
3. Visits with medical professionals will occur regularly and referrals/connections to specialized treatment will be made as needed.
4. Everyone receives the same housing assistance that is provided to everyone else. You can’t kick people out within 30 days unless something stable is established.
5. There should be a clear and fair process before terminating someone for any reason, whether verbal, written, or with a final warning.
6. All shelter residents will receive employment assistance, including work permit applications for eligible persons.
7. For each individual/family, a free consultation with an immigration attorney must be arranged to discuss and proceed with the case. The city will then provide ongoing legal support in the form of an immigration documentation clinic, including transportation to relevant court dates.
8. The City will protect the privacy of families/individuals within the shelter.
9. No more verbal abuse, physical or emotional abuse from staff will be tolerated, including having the security guard sleep indoors and watch 24/7. We are not criminals and will not be treated as such.
10. Transportation to and from school will be provided for all children until the end in 3 weeks.
11. Do not separate families, regardless of whether they have children. The camp continues together.
12. The City should urgently schedule a meeting with the Mayor and those directly involved in running the Newcomer Program to discuss further improvements and ways to support immigrants.
13. The City must provide all residents with a document signed by a City employee in English and Spanish stating all of these requests, including a phone number to report abuse.
Reeves explained that instead of following the group’s list of demands, the city sent buses to the camp to pick up undocumented immigrants and transport them to shelter-in-place.
“This morning, they sent out buses to pick up people without presenting that documentation, without any signatures for accountability,” Reeves said.
Reeves argued that one of the most serious complaints of undocumented immigrants concerns food provided by the city and funded by taxpayers.
“We’re getting so many complaints about spoiled food, not enough food, malnutrition in children,” Reeves told KDVR. “They have no support for public housing or immigration documents, which are sorely needed to help them navigate the bureaucracy surrounding these systems.”
Ewing explained that the city provides many of the services undocumented immigrants seek when they leave the camp and move into a shelter.
“What are you entitled to? What are you not entitled to? What is a viable path to success for you other than staying on the streets of Denver?” he told the news outlet. “We try to compromise. We try to find something. At the end of the day, the last thing we want is a family on the streets of Denver.”
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