As the migrant crisis in sanctuary cities reaches an all-time high, several new laws and measures have emerged. Denver authorities, over the past week, evacuated hundreds of migrants living in an illegal tent city near downtown. The officials evicted the migrants from the tents on January 3, 2024, and offered them apartments.
Also, they offered the migrants’ group shelter space and the choice of a bus ticket to leave. The illegal encampment sprung up when the migrant influx worsened in 2023, and tents occupied multiple sidewalks and streets. According to reports, many migrants are Venezuelans seeking asylum and work permits.
Unfortunately, their scheduled court hearings are as far out as 2029. The camp displacement came as Republican officials visited the Mexican border to push the Biden administration for immigration reform. The federal government has issued about 5,000 work permits to people from Venezuela, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Cuba since September 2023.
However, that’s just a fraction of the number of migrants who have arrived in the U.S. in the last year. According to reports, Denver has received more migrants per capita than any other big city outside Texas in the past year. Consequently, the encampment became flooded with migrants.
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The illegal tent city was around a small hotel used as a long-term shelter for other migrants. But city officials said it posed a growing health and safety concern. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the city has spent much money assisting migrants with basic needs.
In addition, Johnston forecasts spending $180 million, 10% of Denver’s annual budget, assisting migrants with housing and other services. Also, officials said many migrants from the encampment speak no English. Also, officials said some have no connection to the city and lack federal permission to work.
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“This is not sustainable,” Johnston said after meeting with migrants. He also called for federal support, saying the city needs help since most of the migrants lack a work permit. “We’re going to need endless amounts of federal support for those individuals,” Johnston said.
The Mayor also noted that he’s been lobbying federal officials for cash assistance and work permits. While they need Congressional action for comprehensive immigration reform, the Biden administration has periodically loosened restrictions on work permits.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has dispersed nearly 100,000 migrants to Democrat-run cities under Operation Lone Star since April 2022. Abbott argued that self-declared sanctuary cities should shoulder the burden of assisting migrants. Hence, Abbott sends buses of migrants to sanctuary cities.
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Johnston said Denver is successfully handling the approximately 140 migrants delivered from Texas daily. However, he cited the need for a comprehensive federal plan. “What we need is work authorization and a coordinated entry, and we need federal dollars,” Johnston said.
“With those three, we can be successful. Without it, this will be a very hard problem to solve.” As the city officials arrived to evacuate the tents, the few migrants who could speak English expressed their fears. “We’re scared because we don’t know where they’re going to take us,” said one of the migrants, Henry Alvares.
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