Mayor Mike Johnston is betting on jobs to get illegal migrants out of tents and into housing
The Denver City Council's latest solution to the city's growing homelessness and drug addiction crisis has sparked controversy among conservative groups.
Under Mayor Mike Johnston's plan, migrants who recently arrived from the U.S. southern border will be put to work in an effort to reduce the number of people living on the streets.
Last Wednesday, City Council member Amanda Sandoval says counted 38 children sleeping in tents, many of whom were migrants from Venezuela. Some families had been kicked out of shelters for violating rules, while others had reached the end of their allotted time.
The situation only escalated when a group of migrants, including Genesis Daniel Perez and her family, were offered a chance to move back into a shelter. However, Perez refused to leave her sick parents behind. She also expressed concern about leaving them in the cold while she stayed in the shelter.
The city is paying up to $2 million a week to keep hotels like this one open, as more and more people arrive here from cities along the border. That constant human flow is one reason new arrivals can only stay in these facilities for a few weeks. Johnston told us these hotels would work just fine as “short-term transitions,” but limited access to work is stopping people from moving on.
On Saturday, Mayor Johnston's administration organized a meeting to address the growing crisis. The mayor told the news media that tagged along that his mission was clear: find out who among the migrants were eligible for work authorization and get them on a path to employment.
"The spirit of this is to both beta test the integration of these systems, see how they're working, and identify where the gaps are," Johnston said.
The response from the migrants in attendance was mostly positive, with many expressing gratitude for the opportunity to work legally in the United States. However, many groups are pushing back against the plan, arguing that it is rewarding illegal immigration and taking jobs away from American citizens.
"This is just another example of liberal politicians prioritizing the needs of illegal immigrants over those of hardworking Americans," said Tim Smith, a spokesperson for the Denver chapter of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). "Instead of allowing these migrants to take jobs away from struggling citizens, Mayor Johnston should be focused on finding solutions to the root causes of homelessness and drug addiction in our city."
Some advocates for the homeless also have concerns about the plan, arguing that it does not address the immediate needs of those living on the streets.
"While it's admirable that the mayor is trying to get these migrants on a path to work, what about the people who are still living in tents without access to basic necessities?" Andrea Ryall, a local mother and volunteer who works with homeless communities said. "This is just a band-aid solution that ignores the bigger problems that we're facing."
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Despite the criticism, Johnston remains determined to move forward with his plan. He argues that by providing job opportunities for these migrants, the city can reduce its reliance on costly emergency shelters and start addressing the underlying issues of homelessness and drug addiction.
"We can't just keep throwing money at the problem without addressing the root causes," Johnston said in an interview with Denverite. "By getting these migrants on a path to work, we can help them become self-sufficient and ultimately reduce the burden on taxpayers."
While the debate over the mayor's plan continues, many families like Perez's, that are here on our streets, are also still left without permanent shelter during winter.