Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colorado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Colorado</a> counties are challenging the state’s laws that restrict local law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.
On Monday, a <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24548867/douglas-county-v-state-of-colorado-complaint-district-court-denver.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> was filed against Colorado through Democratic Governor Jared Polis by Douglas and El Paso Counties, who argue that the state’s sanctuary city laws are dangerous and unconstitutional. The suit challenges two laws, <a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/2019a_1124_signed.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 19-1124</a> and <a href="https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2023A/bills/2023a_1100_enr.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HB 23-1100</a>, which prohibit police from detaining an illegal immigrant based on a civil immigration detainer from an agency like ICE and block local governments from working with the feds to detain illegal immigrants. 
“The nation is facing an immigration crisis. The nation, the state, and local governments need to cooperate and share resources to address this crisis,” the suit, filed in Denver County District Court, says. “Colorado House Bills 19-1124 and 23- 1100 prohibit the necessary cooperation and create dangerous conditions for the State and migrants.”
The suit argues that the Colorado Constitution “forbids the use of constitutional power to prohibit a political subdivision of the State from cooperating or contracting with the federal government.” 
The counties say that the laws should be struck down and they should be allowed to cooperate with federal agencies to enforce immigration law. Douglas County backed Trump by about 7 points in the 2020 election while El Paso County, home to Colorado Springs, went for Trump by 11 points. 
El Paso&#8217;s Board of County Commissioners <a href="https://www.epcsheriffsoffice.com/news-releases/el-paso-county-sheriff-bocc-join-lawsuit-to-overturn-unlawful-immigration-laws-in#:~:text=In%20recent%20years%2C%20the%20Colorado,and%20hold%20accountable%2C%20those%20who" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> last week 4-0 to authorize the county to join Douglas County&#8217;s litigation against the state. 
“Here in El Paso County, Colorado, we have no choice but to release violent, career criminals back onto our streets, because we have no way to communicate with ICE (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) and identify undocumented immigrants, or keep them in custody, once local judicial adjudication has been executed,” said Sheriff Joseph Roybal. 
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Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/local-politics/douglas-el-paso-colorado-immigration-lawsuit/73-63ba8a10-2d8b-41f3-a454-a91ff73de1cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed</a> to the influx of illegal immigrants into Denver as one reason for the lawsuit. 
“The national migrant crisis has forced Denver to continue to cut local services for residents. We have an obligation first to our citizens, and we see what’s happening in Denver as a warning sign to be proactive here in Douglas County,” Douglas County Commissioner Lora Thomas said. 
Last week, Denver announced budget cuts to some department, including the police, sheriff, and fire departments, to allocate more funding for illegal immigrants. Mayor Mike Johnston has regularly asked the Biden administration for more federal dollars for the city to deal with the migrant crisis.

Venezuelan migrants make their way to Denver after traveling for months.

Conservative Counties Challenge Colorado’s ‘Dangerous’ Sanctuary City Laws

Colorado

Denver

Illegal Immigration

Jared Polis

The city of Denver announced budget cuts to some departments this week, including the police, sheriff, and fire departments, to allocate more funding for illegal immigrants who have overwhelmed Colorado&#8217;s capital.
Democratic Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced the cuts on Wednesday, celebrating the move as a way to avoid &#8220;the worst-case budget cut scenarios.&#8221; The &#8220;<a href="https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Mayors-Office/News/2024/Newcomer-Strategy-Avoids-Budget-Cuts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newcomer Program Strategy</a>&#8221; is a nearly $90 million budget plan that funds aid and sheltering for illegal immigrants through the rest of 2024, Fox 31 <a href="https://kdvr.com/news/local/denver-introduces-nearly-90m-newcomer-budget-plan-for-migrant-aid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. To pay for the illegal immigrant plan, the Democrat-run city <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/2024-services-migrants-budget-cuts-denver-agencies-fund-programs/73-a8654a1f-0a20-4928-9d4d-f8a3c2966719#:~:text=The%20Denver%20Police%20Department%20will,for%20police%20officers%20or%20firefighters.">will cut</a> police spending by $8.4 million and fire department spending by $2.5 million, while the Sheriff&#8217;s Department will be hit with a 2.2% reduction.
“After more than a year of facing this crisis together, Denver finally has a sustainable plan for treating our newcomers with dignity while avoiding the worst cuts to city services,” Johnston said. “So many times we were told that we couldn’t be compassionate while still being fiscally responsible. Today is proof that our hardest challenges are still solvable, and that together we are the ones who will solve them.”
Denver <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denver-scrambling-to-handle-40000-new-migrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrambled</a> earlier this year to find a way to shelter an estimated 40,000 migrants who had arrived in the city over the course of a few months. The mayor took action to help mitigate the strain on migrant shelters by requiring that migrant families leave a shelter after staying for six weeks.
Johnston&#8217;s office said in January that the migrant influx was “straining capacity” and that “over the past two months, Denver has seen a dramatic uptick in arrivals and is currently sheltering 4,000 people.” The mayor added that the city would need to come up with $100 million to pay for the crisis. Denver, which is a &#8220;sanctuary city,&#8221; followed up weeks later by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denver-booting-800-migrant-families-from-shelters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">booting</a> around 800 migrant families from overcrowded shelters.
The new city budget plan allocates $51.7 million for migrant shelter and housing, according to Fox 31. Another $9.7 million will go toward &#8220;supportive services,&#8221; including case management and workforce training, and $6 million will be allocated for migrant transportation.
The mayor&#8217;s office took the biggest hit in budget cuts to help pay for the illegal immigration crisis with a 9.6% reduction in spending. Other city departments taking a budget hit include the City Attorney&#8217;s Office, Economic Development, Public Health and Environment, and the Public Library, among others.
Denver&#8217;s &#8220;Newcomer Program Strategy,&#8221; comes as Colorado voters voice their frustration with the crisis at the U.S. southern border as residents listed immigration as the top issue for the 2024 election in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-colorado-voters-say-immigration-is-the-top-issue-as-2024-election-draws-closer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent poll</a>.
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“Immigration emerging as a top issue among voters in Colorado follows trends we are seeing in research nationally,” Republican pollster Lori Wiegel said.
Colorado has become a Democratic stronghold in recent presidential elections. President Biden won the state over former President Donald Trump by nearly 14 points in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/11/03/us/elections/results-colorado.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020</a>, a significant increase in Democrat support from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/elections/2016/results/colorado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2016</a>, when Hillary Clinton won the state by just five points.
Denver isn&#8217;t the first blue city forced to make budget cuts to handle the illegal immigration crisis. Last year, New York City <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-adams-cuts-police-education-budgets-to-deal-with-ongoing-illegal-immigration-crisis-pounding-nyc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut education and police spending</a>, dropping the number of NYPD officers to below 30,000. The Big Apple has seen over <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nyc-to-start-53m-program-that-will-hand-out-prepaid-credit-cards-to-illegal-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">150,000 migrants</a> flood its streets since 2022 as the border crisis continues under the Biden administration.

migrant shelter

Denver To Cut Police, Fire Dept. Spending To Help Pay For Illegal Immigrant Crisis: Report

Denver To Cut Police Spending To Help Pay For Illegal Immigrant Crisis: Report

Border Crisis

Politics

Colorado voters say that immigration is the top issue facing the country ahead of the 2024 election, a recent poll has found.
The <a href="https://www.copollinginstitute.org/research/march-2024-statewide-poll-coloradans-deeply-concerned-about-high-cost-of-living-in-the-state">poll</a> of 632 likely voters, reported by the Colorado Polling Institute and conducted by Democratic pollster Aspect Strategic and Republican pollster New Bridge Strategy, found that 14% of voters said that immigration is the top issue that the state government should address. The issue beat homelessness at 12% and the lack of affordable housing at 11%, which respondents also provided as answers to the open-ended question.
“Immigration emerging as a top issue among voters in Colorado follows trends we are seeing in research nationally,” Republican pollster Lori Wiegel <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/04/04/colorado-voters-poll-migrant-crisis-top-issue-immigration/">asserted</a>. President Joe Biden still holds a 10% lead over former President Donald Trump in the state, however, with 49% of respondents saying that they will vote for the Democrat incumbent, with 39% saying they will support Trump in the November presidential election.
The poll comes as Denver has seen a drastic increase in the number of new arrivals, with <a href="https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiNWQ4YjcwZDctODkwNy00YjA4LThlMTktMjM3YjU2NmIwZTRjIiwidCI6IjM5Yzg3YWIzLTY2MTItNDJjMC05NjIwLWE2OTZkMTJkZjgwMyJ9">nearly 41,000 migrants</a> currently being served by the city of <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/denvercitycolorado,denvercountycolorado/PST045222">just over 700,000</a>. The city has even asked landlords if they would be willing to house migrants. As many as 4,500 migrants were previously residing in the city’s homeless shelters as of January, though the figure has decreased in recent months.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The city of Denver begging landlords to house illegals: &quot;But if you know somebody who is a property owner or you yourself are [a property owner] willing to rent to migrants, we&#39;ve got information how you can do that on <a href="https://t.co/XnVoasLyDn">https://t.co/XnVoasLyDn</a>&quot; Continually hitting new lows. <a href="https://t.co/iBDPKCsPS8">pic.twitter.com/iBDPKCsPS8</a>
&mdash; Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricAbbenante/status/1774610130270617605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The poll of Colorado voters reflects a wider trend throughout the country, with a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/voters-say-immigration-is-top-issue-facing-country-biden-faces-widespread-disapproval-on-immigration">national poll</a> performed by Harvard Harris and the Center for American Political Studies finding that voters say immigration is the top issue facing the country. The poll also found that Biden has his lowest issue-specific approval rating on immigration, a trend that has persisted for four consecutive months.
Another national poll, <a href="https://apnorc.org/projects/most-favor-hiring-more-border-patrol-agents-and-immigration-judges/">performed</a> by the Associated Press and National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, found that a majority of Americans want to hire more Border Patrol agents and limit the number of migrants who are allowed to seek asylum.
The findings come as the United States faces an unprecedented border crisis with over <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/2455010/illegal-border-crossers-total-over-10-million-since-biden-inauguration/">10 million</a> crossing the border since Joe Biden took office. There have been over one million illegal immigrant <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/over-one-million-illegal-migrants-encountered-at-southern-border-in-first-six-months-of-fiscal-year-2024">encounters</a> on the southern border in just the first six months of fiscal year 2024. There have also been an estimated <a href="https://cis.org/Arthur/Blockbuster-House-Report-Reveals-How-Badly-Bidens-Broken-Our-Immigration-System">1.7 million illegal immigrant gotaways</a> recorded since Biden took office in 2021. There were 415,000 total reported gotaways for 2018, 2019, and 2020 under the Trump administration.

Migrants on border

Poll: Colorado Voters Say Immigration Is The Top Issue As 2024 Election Draws Closer

Border

Denver Public Schools has an &#8220;ethnic studies&#8221; course that teaches ninth graders racial equity and gender ideology, according to a parental rights group.
Parents Defending Education (PDE) said they obtained the <a href="https://defendinged.org/incidents/denver-public-schools-has-mandatory-ethnic-studies-curriculum-for-ninth-grade-students-that-teaches-them-to-embrace-collectivism-over-individualism-teaches-students-that-gender-exists-on-a-spectrum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">curriculum</a> for the Denver school district&#8217;s ninth grade &#8220;Introduction to Ethnic Studies&#8221; course, which allegedly includes lessons on &#8220;Building a Collective Society&#8221; and &#8220;Intersectionality in Action.&#8221;
Other topics reportedly include “Mapping Identity Through Poetry,” “Beyond the Binary,” “The Intersectionality Lens,” and “Systemic Change.”
Scott Pribble, the district&#8217;s Director of External Communications, said in an email that the course is &#8220;not a required course for any of our students&#8221; and that they have &#8220;not received any concerns from parents.&#8221;
In the collective society lesson, students are asked to &#8220;analyze and critique dominant individualist ideologies in the United States,&#8221; according to PDE.
One lesson reportedly asks students to &#8220;reflect on the 20th century American concepts of the American Dream and the Self-Made Man&#8221; and write a brief summary of a pretend movie that &#8220;captures the essence of the American Dream through an individualist perspective.&#8221;
&#8220;Then, students learn about collectivist values from Indigenous Plant Teachings&#8221; and rewrite their movie summaries to &#8220;integrate collective values.&#8221;
The lesson provides an example of a movie summary: &#8220;In the roaring 20s New York City, a determined young Irish immigrant dockworker, fueled by a passionate love for a wealthy socialite, embarks on a perilous journey to transcend his humble origins and earn her love.&#8221;
The lesson suggests changing that movie summary to: &#8220;In 1920s New York City, a compassionate young Irish immigrant accepts a position as a dockworker, and fueled by his commitment to his community, joins forces with his fellow workers to challenge oppressive class divisions and create a more just and equitable society,&#8221; according to PDE.
Several lessons focus on American Indian culture, including one that asks students to use a Navajo Four Cardinal Directions map to &#8220;design a classroom worldview.&#8221;
Students are also reportedly asked to explore how different representations of an Aztec deity &#8220;helps build deeper understanding of the truth and meaning,&#8221; according to the lesson plan.
The curriculum also has students learn the term &#8220;anti-racism&#8221; and watch an Ibram X. Kendi <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY4jK__2GsE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, PDE reported. That lesson also teaches students the quote, &#8220;In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist&#8221; from Angela Davis.
In the unit on gender ideology, students &#8220;analyze statistics on anti-trans politics&#8221; and learn about &#8220;gender fluid cultures,&#8221; according to the group.
The Denver Public Schools <a href="https://www.dpsk12.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serves</a> more than 88,000 students at more than 200 schools.

Close-up of a chair on a student’s desk inside a classroom in a secondary school.

Denver School District’s ‘Ethnic Studies’ Course Teaches 9th Graders Racial Equity, Gender Ideology

Denver School District's 'Ethnic Studies' Course Teaches 9th Graders Racial Equity, Gender Ideology

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Education

Equity

Gender

Public Schools

Race

Transgender

One Colorado city reaffirmed that it is not a sanctuary city as tens of thousands of illegal migrants pour into the state.
The city council of Aurora, which sits just east of Denver, approved a <a href="https://www.auroragov.org/common/pages/DownloadFileByUrl.aspx?key=T33oREoNY3ge58LSFMr%2fYd%2fU2FWC2PnB1ROPA6snV8aUu6H31JX%2bkM9pG%2bZB7rMyAa4hZ1iQthuIFPtGwkEa9eVO76fmceJNQkQSzsEnKODtY4%2bO4toow28JK8TKTca3GLaAd%2f5bKeQPmWeL2OwXMMP4tHqieF66zoVYAG8Qt3dUxonqTtXinZlKajHa1RToiSNb4wuwfq%2fTsy6gLB4Mh8UfrfV56r5jkXDX0RH6%2bhQbmhHk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> in a 7-3 vote on Monday demanding that large groups of migrants not be transported there since it is unable to fund new services for migrants or homeless people.
“The City Council affirms remaining a Non-Sanctuary City and asserts the City does not currently have the financial capacity to fund new services related to this crisis and demands that other municipalities and entities do not systematically transport migrants or people experiencing homelessness to the City,” the resolution states.
The resolution also <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/02/27/aurora-council-sanctuary-bus-migrants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calls</a> on the federal government to “secure our nation’s borders.”
In recent months, Denver has become a hotspot for more than 40,000 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, who began arriving in droves in December, 2022.
Earlier this month, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, announced cuts to the city&#8217;s budget due to the migrant crisis. The DMV and the parks department were some of the first areas of city government affected.
&#8220;Without any federal support, without any work authorization, without changes to policy, we are going to have to make changes to what we can do in terms of our city budget, and what we can do in terms of support for newcomers who have arrived in the city,&#8221; Johnston <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/denver-mayor-cut-dmv-parks-rec-departments-city-deals-with-budget-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Johnston <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the city would likely need $100 million over the course of this year to pay for migrant costs such as housing, school, and health care.
Aurora Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, who sponsored the resolution, said she views it as inhumane to bus migrants into her city.
“I don’t know if the Denver residents are OK with their rec centers being scaled back and shut down and their hours cut and the DMV shut down every other week now, but here in Aurora, we’re not shutting down our rec centers,” Jurinsky <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/02/27/aurora-council-sanctuary-bus-migrants/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We’re not doing any of that, and we don’t have a county budget to sustain it.”
Another member of Aurora&#8217;s city council, Crystal Murillo, opposed the resolution, saying she is concerned it is &#8220;spreading a narrative of fear that we are pitting groups of marginalized communities, people in need, against one another.&#8221;
Councilwoman Stephanie Hancock, who supported the resolution, said she and her fellow council members were elected to be a &#8220;good steward of your dollars.&#8221;

Colorado City Reaffirms It’s A ‘Non-Sanctuary City,’ Demands Migrant Buses Stop

Colorado City Reaffirms It's A 'Non-Sanctuary City,' Demands Migrant Buses Stop

Immigration

Migrants

Residents of the Denver, Colorado, suburb of Lakewood lashed out at the city council after it <a href="https://www.lakewood.org/files/assets/public/v/1/city-managers-office/statement-addressing-misinformation.pdf">urged</a> city staff to meet with the City of Denver’s staff to discuss possible options for Lakewood to work with Denver on the migrant crisis.
&#8220;Nearly 40,000 migrants have arrived in Denver over the past year, making a city with a population of just over 710,000 the top destination per capita for newly arrived migrants crossing the U.S. southern border and traveling north in buses,&#8221; NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in late January. The cost of the migrant crisis in Denver is <a href="https://coloradosun.com/2024/02/09/denver-cuts-services-migrant-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to be $180 million.
On Monday night at the Lakewood city council meeting, one attendee held up a placard reading, “Not actively seeking sanctuary status while actively proposing to accept tax money to provide sanctuary to the unhoused is dishonest.”
“We do not want to be Denver,” former Councilwoman Mary Janssen<a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2024/02/11/colorado-migrants-suburbs-sanctuary-lakewood-douglas-el-paso-county/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> stated</a>. “I live in Lakewood. When did we decide to give away our immigration laws?”
A male attendee told the council, “This transfer station, which is gonna turn into a money pit and a magnet for every criminal that’s coming across the border, don’t we have enough problems in Lakewood without importing &#8217;em from Denver who are saying, &#8216;Yeah, Lakewood, you’re stupid enough to take all of them. Take our problems, you dummies.&#8217; It’s a money pit, and you guys are responsible for our money. Don’t screw it up! This is going to be a money pit! Can’t you guys think five minutes ahead? Do us a big favor and just quit. Get your sorry butts up and leave.”
“Any city resources, time, or money, focused on non-citizens, necessarily steals from our infrastructure, schools, security, and human services, And we are already doing our part as federal taxpayers,” a female resident declared. “Colorado Springs has already told Denver, &#8216;No migrants,&#8217; and you must do same.”
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“The city manager and the city staff should be focused on the immediate needs of Lakewood,” another attendee echoed. “Should residents who’ve lived here and paid taxes their entire lives have to worry if their car will still be in their driveway tomorrow morning when they get up to go to work? Should they worry about shoplifters who have no fear of shoplifting cartfuls of items out of stores while they pay for their groceries? Focus on being good neighbors and fixing what ails Lakewood first.”
“The last few years we’ve seen our quiet Lakewood suburb turn into a place where there’s drugs, prostitution, and crime all over,” another attendee added. “And we’ve seen increasing support for building facilities for the homeless but if we do that, we’re going to become the center for Colorado to send their homeless. &#8230; I’d love to hear the actions that you’re gonna take to prevent a mass influx of migrants from coming into Lakewood; you could punish heavy drug use that we’re seeing openly done at Colfax and on the light rail; you could take an active stance against human trafficking; what are all these seedy massage parlors everywhere?”
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Venezuelan migrants get help from the City of Denver in applying for asylum and work permits.

‘Get Your Sorry Butts Up And Leave’: Residents Blast City Council Over Possibility Of Migrants Coming From Denver

U.S.

Denver is considering allowing non-citizens to become police officers and firefighters, a move that would allow migrants with work authorization to work those public safety jobs.
On Monday, City Council President Jamie Torres and Councilmember Amanda Sandoval <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2024/02/13/noncitizens-police-officers-firefighters?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposed</a> getting rid of language in the city charter that bars the city from hiring non-citizens as police and firefighters.
The proposal could be formally introduced in a bill as soon as April, but changing the city&#8217;s charter would also require a ballot initiative in November.
Both the fire chief and police chief have submitted letters in favor of the idea.
The Denver Sheriff&#8217;s Department is already able to hire non-citizens thanks to a 2016 federal settlement that <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-settles-immigration-related-discrimination-claim-against-denver-sheriff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> the department discriminated against migrants who had work authorizations.
Like several other major U.S. cities, Denver has received an influx of illegal migrants recently. Colorado’s capital is struggling to metabolize the more than 40,000 illegal migrants who have arrived in recent months.
The city is in the process of evicting about 800 migrant families from overcrowded shelters.
“We have filled every single hotel room that we have available in the city and county of Denver,” Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, said earlier this month, adding that the city is “very close” to a breaking point.
To pay for the migrant crisis, the city is <a href="https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/next-with-kyle-clark/every-denver-city-department-to-plan-for-budget-cuts-to-pay-for-migrant-crisis/73-6096d59c-3f95-4cb1-91e1-39b411d1aa2f?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slashing</a> funding from every part of the budget, from the police to the health department to the animal shelter.
The mayor has asked to cut nearly $1 million from the elections department in an election year.
Johnston <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the city would likely need $100 million over the course of this year to pay for migrant costs such as housing, school, and health care.
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“This influx of migrants is straining capacity, and based on current projections, could force the city to cut as much as $180 million from its annual budget,” city officials <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/800-migrant-families-booted-denver-shelters-city-nears-breaking-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release.
Denver has only 710,000 residents, meaning the new migrants have increased the city’s population by more than 5%. The new arrivals now make up a more significant segment of the city’s population than in larger cities that have seen a recent migrant influx, such as New York City or Chicago.
Meanwhile, more encampments are cropping up in Denver, which already has a significant homeless problem — the homeless population <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denvers-homeless-population-spiked-over-30-in-one-year-annual-count-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spiked</a> more than 30% last year.
Many of the Democratic leaders in cities that have experienced a migrant influx have pushed for work authorizations for migrants so they can stop being in the government&#8217;s care.

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/denver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denver</a> is in the process of evicting about 800 migrant families from the city&#8217;s overcrowded shelters.
Colorado&#8217;s capital is struggling to metabolize the more than 40,000 illegal migrants who have arrived in the city in recent months.
So far, the city has kicked out about 140 families from the temporary shelters, city officials <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/800-migrant-families-booted-denver-shelters-city-nears-breaking-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. About 660 more families are set to be evicted over the next few weeks.
Starting this past Monday, migrant families can only stay in a shelter room for six weeks, Mayor Mike Johnston’s office announced last month.
&#8220;We have filled every single hotel room that we have available in the city and county of Denver,&#8221; Johnston, a Democrat, said at a town hall meeting last week.
&#8220;Now we have the terrible decision that if we don’t start exiting folks, we will have 250 folks that will arrive today or the day after who don’t have anywhere to go at night,&#8221; the mayor said.
Last week, Johnston said his city is &#8220;very close&#8221; to a breaking point due to the migrant crisis.
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Originally, the city did not want to limit how much time migrants could stay in shelters. In November, the city stopped evicting migrant families and welcomed some families back to shelters.
However, a spokesperson for Johnston’s office <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/denver-becoming-overwhelmed-40000-spike-migrant-population" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> that the migrant influx is “straining capacity” and that “over the past two months, Denver has seen a dramatic uptick in arrivals and is currently sheltering 4,000 people.”
Johnston <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the city would likely need $100 million over the course of this year to pay for migrant costs such as housing, school, and health care.
Meanwhile, city hospital Denver Health has about $10 million in unpaid medical bills from migrants. The hospital has requested more money from both Colorado and the federal government.
The city’s public schools have received nearly 3,000 new migrant children, hundreds of whom are coming in with little to no previous schooling.
Also, more tent cities are cropping up in Denver, which already has a significant homeless problem — the homeless population <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denvers-homeless-population-spiked-over-30-in-one-year-annual-count-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spiked</a> more than 30% last year.
Denver has only 710,000 residents, meaning the new migrants have increased the city’s population by more than 5%. The new arrivals now make up a more significant segment of the city’s population than they do in larger cities that have seen a recent migrant influx, such as New York City or Chicago.
Denver says on the city&#8217;s website that it has helped more than 38,000 migrants at a cost of more than $42 million.
&#8220;This influx of migrants is straining capacity, and based on current projections, could force the city to cut as much as $180 million from its annual budget,&#8221; Denver <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/800-migrant-families-booted-denver-shelters-city-nears-breaking-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release.

Denver Booting 800 Migrant Families From Shelters

Denver is struggling to metabolize the more than 40,000 illegal migrants who have arrived in the city in recent months.
Colorado&#8217;s capital is a sanctuary city, but lately, shelters are so overwhelmed that officials have <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decided</a> to limit how long migrants can stay in rooms provided by the government.
Starting February 5, migrant families can only stay in a shelter room for six weeks, Mayor Mike Johnston&#8217;s office announced.
A spokesperson for Johnston&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/denver-becoming-overwhelmed-40000-spike-migrant-population" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> that the influx is &#8220;straining capacity&#8221; and that &#8220;over the past two months, Denver has seen a dramatic uptick in arrivals and is currently sheltering 4,000 people.&#8221;
Johnston, a Democrat, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the city would likely need $100 million over the course of this year to pay for migrant costs such as housing, school, and health care.
Meanwhile, city hospital Denver Health has about $10 million in unpaid medical bills from migrants. The hospital has requested more money from both Colorado and the federal government.
Doctors there have <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> an uptick in parasitic infections caused by the drinking water migrants consumed on their way to the southern border.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the department would continue to work with the city on the migrant issue.
&#8220;We continue to urge Congress to approve our supplemental request, provide us with the resources to manage the Southwest Border in a humane, safe, and orderly manner, and provide communities across the country with the financial support they need,” the spokesperson <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News.
Denver has only 710,000 residents, meaning the new migrants have increased the city&#8217;s population by more than 5%. The new arrivals now make up a more significant segment of the city&#8217;s population than they do in larger cities that have seen a recent migrant influx, such as New York City or Chicago.
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Meanwhile, the city&#8217;s public schools have received nearly 3,000 new migrant children, mainly from Venezuela, since July, which has strained the school system&#8217;s resources and funding, Adrienne Endres, the executive director of multilingual education for the school district, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/denver-struggles-cope-40000-migrants-rcna135555" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News.
More than 600 of the children previously received little to no schooling at all, so they must spend time catching up, Endres said.
More tent cities are cropping up in the city, which already has a significant homeless problem — the homeless population <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denvers-homeless-population-spiked-over-30-in-one-year-annual-count-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spiked</a> more than 30% last year.
As many as 200 tents appeared in the area of one local bar, the owner told Fox News.
&#8220;There&#8217;s people right across the street that couldn&#8217;t even get to our door, so decline was pretty quick. The first three months, it was fine. After that, it was pretty aggressive for the decline of business,&#8221; Samantha Menendez, the co-owner of &#8220;One Shot Back&#8221; bar, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/denver-becoming-overwhelmed-40000-spike-migrant-population" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

Denver Scrambling To Handle 40,000 New Migrants

Hundreds of new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illegal-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">migrants</a> were dropped off near major cities as the year came to a close this week, a symptom of the ongoing migrant crisis at the border.
In New Jersey, some bus operators figured out a &#8220;loophole&#8221; in New York City&#8217;s new migrant restrictions and started dropping migrants off at New Jersey train stations, where they took the train to New York.
At least 13 buses carrying about 450 migrants have shown up in New Jersey from Texas and Louisiana since Saturday. One bus arrived early Monday morning in Jersey City, according to the city’s mayor.
&#8220;From what we understand after being dropped at the train station the migrants then took trains to New York City,&#8221; Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli <a href="https://secaucusnj.gov/government/news/1074-several-busses-of-migrants-arrive-at-secaucus-junction-train-station?fbclid=IwAR2VExj7K9vp8f4kvrt2vsFPSO8q0g5x03zR042F0KeiDA8ji_JZ7L176CM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release on the incident.
Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/assets/home/downloads/pdf/executive-orders/2023/eeo-538.pdf?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> that buses carrying migrants must provide the city with 32 hours notice before arriving and can only drop off migrants on weekday mornings. Violators risk fines and having their bus impounded.
More than 161,000 migrants have arrived in New York City since the spring of 2022, causing the city to scramble to find them shelter. The financial strain on the city prompted Adams to announce deep budget cuts affecting all agencies including the police force, the public school system, and sanitation services.
In the Chicago area, more than 350 migrants were flown to nearby Rockford from Texas on Sunday morning. They were immediately put on buses to Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said Texas did not give the city notice that it was sending the migrants, who he said arrived via private plane.
Since April 2022, Texas <a href="https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-bolsters-historic-border-security-mission-in-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it has sent more than 90,000 migrants to &#8220;sanctuary cities&#8221; run by Democrats, including New York City, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Chicago scrambled to house migrants before the cold winter months set in, but many are still sheltering at the city&#8217;s police stations and airports.
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In Denver, as many as 19 buses and vans reportedly dropped off migrants in the city on Friday. Migrants were left in the parking lots of Home Depot, Walmart, and Sam’s Club, Denver7 <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/sources-20-busloads-of-migrants-arrive-in-denver-some-reportedly-telling-customers-to-pay-for-free-parking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
A day later, some of the migrants returned and reportedly tried to make money by trying to charge Sam&#8217;s Club customers to park in the free parking lot, <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/sources-20-busloads-of-migrants-arrive-in-denver-some-reportedly-telling-customers-to-pay-for-free-parking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a security guard who was hired to protect the parking lot. They also reportedly tried to earn cash by helping customers load groceries into their cars and cleaning windshields with spray bottles and paper towels, the outlet reported.
&#8220;I think the frustrating thing for us is we know this problem is solvable,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said.
“They should have federal dollars to help support them in the cities that they arrive in, and we should have a coordinated national plan for where these folks arrive,” Johnston <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/sources-20-busloads-of-migrants-arrive-in-denver-some-reportedly-telling-customers-to-pay-for-free-parking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.

OPED-CHICAGO-MIGRANTS-EDITORIAL-TB

Hundreds More Migrants Dropped Off In Chicago, New Jersey, Denver As Year Ended

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Daytime talk show host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Maury Povich</a>, who is well known for announcing the results of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/father">paternity tests</a> on air, took his talents to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/denver">Denver Zoo</a> for a big reveal.
The 84-year-old “Maury” host told waiting fans which male in the orangutan group fathered a four-month-old baby named Siska. The options were 30-year-old Berani or 16-year-old Jaya. 
The Denver Zoo had some fun with it, having Povich announce the baby’s paternity with his customary line, “You are the father!” in a video reveal posted to X on December 19.
“Fresh off receiving the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Honor, Maury Povich is here to help us announce the paternity results for Siska, our four-month-old Sumatran orangutan! Is Siska&#8217;s father thirty-year-old Berani or 16-year-old Jaya? Watch the video for the big reveal!” the zoo’s social media post said in the caption.
Povich donned a tuxedo and bow tie for the big moment.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Fresh off receiving the Daytime Emmys Lifetime Achievement Honor, Maury Povich is here to help us announce the paternity results for Siska, our four-month-old Sumatran orangutan! Is Siska&#39;s father thirty-year-old Berani or 16-year-old Jaya? Watch the video for the big reveal! 🧡 <a href="https://t.co/jyh1Mp0Y7C">pic.twitter.com/jyh1Mp0Y7C</a>
&mdash; Denver Zoo (@DenverZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/DenverZoo/status/1737155961649770563?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“We want to thank the Denver Zoo for everything they do, but this is really important,” the talk show host said while holding an envelope with the test results.
“When it comes to the orangutan — 4-month-old Siska — Berani, you are  the father,” he continued as the screen split showed a photo of the two potential dads.
After the reveal, the video showed several people cheering and cut to an image of an orangutan, ostensibly Berani, swinging around in his enclosure.
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“Berani is the father,” the people then said in unison, as the video drew to a close.
Though “Maury” is technically retired, he recently said he’d resume his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maury-povich-says-hell-come-out-of-retirement-to-dna-test-matthew-mcconaughey-and-woody-harrelson">DNA test reveals</a> for Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, who have said publicly that there’s a chance they’re really brothers. 
“We could do primetime, ‘DNA: Maury’s Back With Woody and Matthew.’ I’ll even get my showtime color back in my hair,” Povich said in September. “Woody’s got my number. I’m ready.”
McConaughey told Kelly Ripa that his mom made him wonder if Harrelson might be related to him. 
“In Greece a few years ago, we’re sitting around talking about how close we are and our families. And my mom is there, and she says, ‘Woody, I knew your dad,’” McConaughey said at the time. “Everyone was aware of the ellipses that my mom left after ‘knew.’ It was a loaded K-N-E-W.”
The “Dallas Buyers Club” actor said he wasn’t sure if he wanted to take the test because of what it would mean to find out that the man who raised him potentially wasn’t his biological father.

Maury Povich

‘You Are The Father!’ Maury Povich Announces Paternity Results For Orangutan At Denver Zoo

'You Are The Father!' Maury Povich Announces Paternity Results For Orangutan At Denver Zoo

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The son of Afghan migrants was arrested by federal law enforcement officials this week for allegedly trying to board a flight to the Middle East so he could join the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/isis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Islamic State</a> (ISIS), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).
Humzah Mashkoor, 18, from Colorado, was arrested on Monday at Denver International Airport before he was able to get on a flight headed to &#8220;to the United Arab Emirates, where he intended to stay until he continued on to either Afghanistan or Syria to serve as a fighter for ISIS,&#8221; the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/colorado-man-arrested-attempting-provide-material-support-isis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
He was charged with attempting to provide material support to an FTO.
Authorities began monitoring Mashkoor in November 2021 after he reportedly expressed support online for ISIS and began to use social media to connect with ISIS supporters, according to <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/front-range/westminster/federal-authorities-arrest-westminster-man-18-who-allegedly-planned-to-join-isis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Denver7 News</a>.
The following year, he began communicating with multiple undercover FBI agents who were posing as supporters of the terrorist organization and expressed his &#8220;intent to join ISIS as a fighter, provide money to the organization and recruit other supporters,&#8221; the report said. He told them that he had been to Afghanistan before his family was forced to leave.
He said he was frustrated because he could not make the trip or provide resources to the terror group because he was still a minor.
Earlier this year he reportedly expressed interest in getting married, finding a job, and finishing his high school education, the report said. But he was concerned about &#8220;abandoning&#8221; his potential wife while fighting in Afghanistan if he became &#8220;martyred.&#8221;
His family did not know why he was leaving the U.S. to go overseas and he only purchased a one-way plane ticket to the U.A.E.
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He told one of the undercover agents that his family was sad he was leaving, adding: &#8220;I don&#8217;t know how to properly say my final goodbyes to them or how to convey the reasons why I left without compromising myself.&#8221;
After arriving at DIA, he proceeded to go through the TSA security checkpoint and immediately after passing through he was taken into custody.
A search warrant that was executed on his home turned up an ISIS flag and a note explaining his intent to join the group.
Denver7 News highlighted the following excerpts that law enforcement says they discovered in a journal of his:
<ul>
<li>&#8220;I fell in love with their (ISIS) steadfastness in the face of such animosity.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;From then on I decided I wanted to be like them. Leaving behind the hypocritical life of humiliation to migrate to the lands of jihad.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;So once again I state, that I have NO regrets about this blessed path decorated with thorns. And I hope to be granted one of two things. Victory over my enemies, or martyrdom.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;I will never forget all that you&#8217;ve done for me and I&#8217;m sorry for how I treated you. Goodbye.&#8221;</li>
</ul>

Islamic State/Iraq/Syria: A masked Islamic State soldier poses holding the ISIL banner somewhere in the deserts of Iraq or Syria. ISIL publicity image, 2015

Son Of Afghan Migrants Arrested In Colorado, Charged With Trying To Join ISIS: Report

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