Colorado’s capital has joined a growing list of cities that have been overwhelmed by an influx of immigrants — with more than 38,000 asylum seekers arriving in Denver in the past year.
The Mile-High City has struggled to accommodate new immigrants who have flooded city shelters and hospitals, prompting state officials to enact limits on how long immigrants can stay in state-funded rooms starting Feb. 5.
The city initially paused the release of immigrant families from shelters on Nov. 17 to help with the growing number of new immigrants.
However, after seeing a sharp increase, the city is now home to 4,500 migrants and will continue to release migrant families.
Denver Deputy Communications Director Jose Salas told The Post that the city will extend “the previous length of stay policy for families from 37 days to 42 days.”
More than 40,000 asylum seekers were sent to Denver last year. Denver Post via Getty Images
“The changes will be implemented in the coming weeks and come as Denver experiences a significant surge in arrivals from the southern border as well as pressing budget concerns,” Salas said.
A Venezuelan family told NBC News that they had just received notice from the city that they would be evicted from the hotel where they were staying.
“Just yesterday they started throwing toys, bicycles in the public area,” said the mother of three daughters. “We don’t know where we’re going next.”
Dr. Steven Federico, a pediatrician and head of government and community affairs at Denver Health, told the outlet that the hospital seems to have become a “safety net” for the city.
“I think it’s a call that’s been ignored so far in terms of who’s going to be responsible for the health care of this population,” Federico said. “Meanwhile, it falls on safety net hospitals like Denver Health.”
Denver’s mayor estimates the city will need an additional $100 million to cover immigrant needs by 2024. Denver Post via Getty Images
Federico said hospital officials have appealed to state and federal officials to help cover $10 million in unpaid medical bills from immigrants.
Emergency room doctor Kristi Rodrigues told NBC she worries asylum seekers may not be able to get the help they may need after leaving the ER.
“I don’t mind being busy. I can see a lot of patients, I can stay late,” said Rodrigues. “But I don’t know if this person will fill his medicine. I actually don’t know if this person will go to a pediatrician to be seen and cared for. For me, that’s the part that appeals to me.”
Denver schools have seen 3,000 new students enroll in the system since July. Denver Post via Getty Images
Denver Public Schools has seen an additional 3,000 students enter the system since July, straining their budgets because funding was set based on the district’s population the previous October, according to Adrienne Endres, who oversees multilingual education for the district.
Most of the immigrants come from Venezuela, and many arrive with little or no schooling, Endres said.
“We’ve got a lot of new kids very quickly, with a lot of needs,” Endres said. “It’s getting creative in a lot of spaces. It has brought in many other departments. And it’s an adventure we’re happy to be a part of.”
Most of the immigrants entering Denver are from Venezuela. Denver Post via Getty Images
Both hospital and school officials have been able to handle the influx so far, but fear the rate of growth is unsustainable. So far, Denver has served more than 38,000 immigrants, costing the city $40 million, Salas said.
The mayor’s office agrees that the city is reeling under the growing population, telling The Post that current projections show the city may need to cut as much as $180 million from its annual budget to accommodate the additional population.
“While we recognize that families need as much time as we can give them, we again must limit the amount of time families can stay in the shelter,” Salas said.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnson (left) said that current projections show the city may need to cut as much as $180 million from its annual budget to accommodate the overpopulation. Getty Images
The news comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the Lone Star State has taken more than 102,000 immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities — including more than 37,500 to New York City.
While the Big Apple and Chicago received the bulk of the immigrants, Denver has reportedly received more than 16,000 since May 18, according to Abbott’s office.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
