The city of Denver has begun removing about 800 immigrant families from shelters as it reduces aid to illegal immigrants.
About 140 families were evicted from temporary housing in Colorado’s capital on Monday, with the remaining 660 expected to be removed in the coming weeks, city officials said.
Sanctuary cities are struggling to make the most of their limited resources to support the growing number of migrants in their cities. Texas is deporting thousands of migrants to sanctuary cities like Denver, illustrating the challenges faced by border states as migrants flood into cities.
Migrants at a temporary shelter in Denver, Colorado, on January 13, 2023. (Hyun Chang/The Denver Post)
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NBC News reports that Denver state officials have begun placing time limits on how long migrants can stay in state-provided rooms to accommodate the daily influx of individuals as shelters become crowded and hospitals become overwhelmed. It is said that
Denver had 3,813 people in custody as of last week, and more waves of illegal immigrants are flooding into the city. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston (D) said the city is at capacity.
“All available hotel rooms in the city and county of Denver have been filled,” Johnston said at last week’s City Hall meeting.
“We’ve made the terrible decision now that if we don’t start evacuating people, we’re going to end up with 250 people arriving today or the day after tomorrow with nowhere to go for the night,” Johnston said.
Johnston told Fox News last week that the city is “very close” to breaking point due to the crisis.
The city initially suspended shelter exits due to the cold weather, but due to space and timing, that suspension is scheduled to end this week, according to 9News. Previously, immigrants with children were allowed to stay for 37 days.
“As of Monday, February 5, 2024, the City of Denver has assisted 38,380 migrants from the southern border at a cost of more than $42 million,” the city’s website states. .
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston told Fox News last week that the city is “very close” to breaking point due to the crisis. (Hyun Chang/The Denver Post)
Denver mayor warns city is ‘very close’ to ‘breaking point’ for immigration surge
“This influx of immigrants is straining production capacity and, based on current projections, the city could be forced to cut up to $180 million from its annual budget,” the city said in a press release. Stated.
Yoli Casas of the nonprofit organization ViVe Wellness said the number of migrants arriving in the city is unprecedented. ViVe Wellness is helping the city address the immigration crisis.
“Last year, we had so many people come, and I’ve never seen so many people come… So February 5th is a very painful day for me, because there are so many different… It’s a packed day for a reason,” Casas told 9News. . “There’s no more space.”
The city also helps migrants leave the city by purchasing bus tickets. Denverite said the city bought more than 2,000 tickets in January alone to send people to other destinations in the U.S., with most going to New York City and Chicago.
Homeless encampment on Pennsylvania Street in Denver on August 23, 2023. (Hyun Chang/The Denver Post)
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The influx of immigrants has also pushed the city’s health care system to breaking point.
Last year, about 8,000 undocumented immigrants were recorded visiting Denver health facilities about 20,000 times for services such as emergency rooms, primary care, dental care and childbirth. The visit left the system with a deficit of about $22 million.
Denver passed a law to become a sanctuary city, but it does not include a right-to-shelter provision, meaning there is no official policy forcing local governments to provide shelter indefinitely.
FOX News’ Alba Cuevas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.
