Denver's Struggle with Broken Borders

The U.S. broken borders are taking an increasingly heavy toll on Denver and its already struggling resources. Over 18,400 migrants have flocked to the mile-high city since Christmas, overwhelming local shelters and leaving city workers struggling to keep up.

The situation has only worsened in recent weeks, as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ramps up the frequency of buses arriving from the Texas border. These buses, according to Denver officials, are causing a significant strain on the city’s resources and services.

“We don’t track where all of the buses are coming from,” said Victoria Aguilar, spokesperson for Denver Human Services told the Colorado Sun. “But those that we are tracking specifically, we know they are buses that are sent by Gov. Abbott.”

And while Colorado is pointing fingers at Texas, the Denver government has taken matters into their own hands by sending over one-third of the migrants to other cities, including Chicago and New York. This has come at a great cost to the city, as they have spent over $23 million since December just to support these migrants.

The situation has only escalated, with nearly 1,300 migrants now sleeping in shelters throughout the city each night. This is almost three times as many as in the summer, when the number dropped to less than 500.And it doesn’t stop there. Just this week, over 150 migrants arrived in Denver on Tuesday alone, followed by another 110 on Wednesday. This constant influx is leaving city officials scrambling to find ways to cope with the overwhelming numbers.

The city’s response to this crisis has been to outsource services, with Mayor Michael Johnston working with various agencies to contract out the work. But with such a significant financial burden on the city, it’s clear that something needs to be done at a federal level to address the broken borders that are plaguing Denver and other cities across the nation.