Written by: J. Gomez

Denver, a self-proclaimed sanctuary city, is facing a completely unsustainable and solvable problem. In less than a year, over 40,000 migrants have arrived in the city, putting a strain on city officials who are struggling to provide for both tens of thousands of indigent migrants and their taxpaying residents.

As a result, the city has embarked on an expensive effort to support the migrants, including finding shelter for them, helping their children enroll in schools, providing emergency food assistance, and assisting with public assistance and immigration paperwork. However, these measures come at a significant cost, and Denver residents are feeling the impact.

In December 2023, the city entered into a $100,000 contract with Colorado Hospitality Services to provide food for the incoming migrants, according to public documents. Within a year, that contract had ballooned to $475,000 in January 2024, and an additional $450,000 was paid in February.

Now, the Denver City Council is considering another $500,000 to cover food costs through June, bringing the total to a staggering $1.4 million. A similar situation is unfolding with another food provider, Michaels of Denver Catering, Inc., with costs soaring from $500,000 to $1 million and now potentially another $350,000.

Unsustainable by any measure.

But the city justifies these escalating costs by citing the sustained high volume of indigent migrants and the need to meet their basic needs. However, the financial burden on Denver continues to grow as the city remains a magnet for these illegal migrants, with nearly 40,000 arriving in the past year alone.

To address the deficit, the city plans to close four shelters and consolidate costs for migrant services. This move is part of Mayor Mike Johnston's strategy to tackle the estimated $180 million price tag of providing support for migrants throughout 2024.

Two shelters have already been closed, including a contentious site in Aurora, while two more will shut down later this month, according to the reporting of the Aurora Sentinel.

Mayor Johnston claims that these closures will save the city $60 million in migrant service costs, reducing the projected total cost for 2024 to $120 million. Additionally, Denver has received reimbursements from the state of Colorado and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, totaling $4.5 million, with the potential for an additional $12.2 million in federal reimbursements.

READ MORE:

• DENVER MAYOR WARNS OF POTENTIAL $180 MILLION IMPACT OF IMMIGRANT INFLUX ON DENVER’S TAXPAYERS

• DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PRIORITIZE CITIZENS OVER DENVER’S ‘SANCTUARY CITY’ POLICY

• DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TAKE STAND AGAINST LAX SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES AND BIDEN'S DESTRUCTIVE OPEN BORDERS

• THE STATUE OF LIBERTY: BIDEN'S OPEN BORDER POLICIES FUELING AN UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS

However, despite these reimbursements, the strain on resources continues to grow. Many of the migrants arriving in Denver face lengthy waits for immigration hearings and work permits. According to the Washington Examiner, some migrant assistance groups suspect that Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who has also transported migrants to other states, deliberately sent individuals without work permits to Denver, New York, and Chicago.

While the influx of migrants carries a price tag of over $61 million, the resources for feeding those in shelters are running dangerously low. The city council is set to amend contracts in an attempt to address this issue. However, the irresponsible sanctuary city policies of Denver's liberal leaders have created a situation that is completely unsustainable and detrimental to both the city's residents and the migrants themselves.

It's obviously time for Denver to reevaluate its approach and prioritize the needs of its taxpaying residents. The burden placed on the city's resources and the strain on taxpayer funds cannot continue indefinitely.