Colorado has seen an influx of migrants since 2022. Almost 40,000 individuals have arrived in Denver from the southern border over the last year, costing the city almost $60 million.
Denver Mayor Johnson has stated that Denver encourages migrants to relocate to other parts of the country rather than staying within the state. Johnston says that Denver has not resettled immigrants in other Colorado cities.
However, some members of the Denver City Council say that any long-term strategy concerning migrants should involve relocating them to other cities within Colorado.
If the long-term strategy for migrants involves dispersing them within Colorado, it would be good for Chaffee County to get ahead of the game and declare itself a non-sanctuary county. This would help prevent the issues faced by Denver.
Only the federal government has the authority to grant employment authorization to migrants, not the state, so Colorado lawmakers have limited ability to make work more accessible to them. The process of applying and receiving work authorization for new arrivals can take almost a year.
Scriven also said that while the state does not control work authorization for migrants, local organizations play a major role in helping migrants through the application process.
The federal government announced in September that Venezuelans could apply for temporary protected status and work permits, but that expedited process is only for people who arrived before July 31. And even those eligible for temporary protected status still struggle to afford the $545 application fee and to find access to a computer to fill out the application.
And what about all the people who arrived after July 31? Migrants, who can apply for asylum at the border or after they’ve entered the United States, must wait 150 days after applying for asylum to apply for work authorization. It’s a process that takes several months.
In recent years, thousands of Texas cattle have been slaughtered after being infected with drug-resistant TB through contact with illegal aliens who end up working in dairies, Dr. Vickers said.
Denver intends to defund its police force and fire department in order to better support those illegally entering the U.S. through a program that provides a monthly debit card based on family size, free housing, “access to language instruction, career pathway explorations, industry-recognized credential training, and work-based learning opportunities.”
