A Denver city official pleaded with immigrant families to move to other sanctuary cities like New York and Chicago, warning them that the lack of resources in Colorado would make them “suffer.”
In a clip first obtained by 9NEWS, communications liaison Andrés Carrera urges a group of new arrivals inside a migrant shelter to seek support elsewhere.
“The opportunities are over,” Carrera says in Spanish. ‘New York gives you more. Chicago gives you more. So I suggest you go where there is long-term shelter. There are also more job opportunities there.”
The overburdened city has allocated more than $100 million to provide housing, health care and education to asylum seekers, according to Mayor Mike Johnston.
But amid the current immigration crisis, that figure could reach $180 million, 15 percent of Denver’s annual budget.
Denver official Andrés Carrera urged asylum seekers to flee to places like New York and Chicago, and the city offered to foot the bill for their travel.
“Opportunities are gone,” Carrera said, telling the crowd they would “suffer” if they stayed in Colorado.
The immigrants in the video were taken by bus to Denver by Texas Governor Greg Abbott last week (pictured: immigrants being processed in El Paso to be sent to Denver).
The migrants in the video were bussed to Denver on March 26, according to a city spokesperson, as part of an effort coordinated by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Abbott has been sending migrants from the Mexican border to Democratic-led sanctuary cities for more than a year in an attempt to incite mass anger over the Biden administration’s border policy.
“The largest importer of immigrants to New York is not Texas, it is Joe Biden,” the Republican said at an event hosted by the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, in September. ‘It’s a crisis. It is chaotic and it must stop.”
In the footage, Carerra tells the crowd that Denver has “taken in too many immigrants” and has since been left without resources.
“If you stay here, you’re going to suffer even more and I don’t want to see this,” he says.
Carerra then professes that officials will buy immigrants tickets “to any city.” We can take you to the Canadian border, wherever!’
While Denver imposes limits on the amount of time new arrivals can stay in city shelters (two weeks for individuals and six weeks for families with children), the city offers incentives such as paying bus fare to their destinations. choice, including cities near the Canadian coast. edge.
The city has also begun clearing migrant camps. Just last week, two encampments were swept in one day: one in front of the Elitch Gardens amusement park and another in southwest Denver.
While the migrants, mostly single men, initially refused to be bused to a shelter in protest, 23 of the approximately 55 people at Elitch Gardens later agreed, while another nine asked to continue traveling.
Mayor Mike Johnston warned that the city, which has already allocated $100 million to pay for housing and food for migrants, could spend up to 15 percent of its budget.
Other sanctuary cities like Chicago are similarly overburdened. As of Saturday, two migrant shelters in Rogers Park’s Leona Beach and Little Village’s Pietrowski Park had been emptied.
Last year, the city began opening encampments in historically underserved Hispanic and Black communities, often without notifying residents and local leaders.
Other sanctuary cities have begun to do the same. As of Saturday, Chicago had emptied its state shelters at Rogers Park’s Leona Beach and Little Village’s Pietrowski Park.
About 200 asylum seekers were taken to other locations, including a closed CVS in Little Village.
Last year, the city began opening encampments in historically underserved black and Hispanic neighborhoods, drawing the ire of longtime residents.
One community was Brighton Park, where the city signed a deal for $91,400 a month to lease land to build the first of the tent cities.
Councilor number 12, Julia Ramírez, who represents the district, stated that the agreement was reached without her knowledge or that of the community.
The crisis has reached a fever pitch in New York City, where approximately 180,000 immigrants have entered since 2022. Under its “Right to Shelter” law, the city must provide food and housing.
Mayor Eric Adams pleaded with the state to provide more funding during a joint legislative budget hearing last month.
‘New Yorkers are already transporting the majority of asylum seekers. It is wrong to ask them to do more. “It has put the city in a precarious situation,” he said at the time.
New York City has seen approximately 180,000 immigrants enter since 2022 and continues to provide food and shelter under its ‘Right to Shelter’ law.
Mayor Eric Adams pleaded with the state to provide more funding at a budget hearing last month.
He defended a controversial program that provides immigrants with pre-loaded debit cards and denied it would send a “mixed message” to new asylum seekers.
The pilot program launched last week with 10 families and will expand to 115 families, providing those with children $350 per week for six weeks.
Amid limited resources, New York City has been forced to look for new ways to save money. This includes a program that gives debit cards to some immigrants, which Adams defended at a news conference last week.
The city has contracted up to $53 million with a financial services company to supply the cards, which will be used strictly for food and basic needs.
The pilot program launched March 25 with 10 families and will expand to 115 families, providing those with children with $350 per week for six weeks.
The city could save up to $7.2 million a year thanks to the program, which provides funds directly to immigrants, instead of paying for the production and delivery of boxed meals.
Asked if the provision of debit cards sent a “mixed message” to migrants crossing the border, Adams was defiant.
“When it’s distorted, it sends a mixed message,” he said.