Denver, Colorado, is giving migrants two options when they get off a bus from the U.S.-Mexico border: temporary shelter or a one-way ticket out-of-state.

Approximately 12,000 out of 27,000 migrants who have arrived in the Democrat-led city have traveled to other parts of the country.

The city has spent over $4 million transporting migrants out-of-state, reports claim.

“Nearly half of the 27,000 migrants who arrived in Denver since November 2022 have chosen the bus, plane or train tickets to other cities in the U.S., city data shows,” the Associated Press reports.

Multiple Democrat-led cities have taken similar approaches, claiming dwindling resources after an influx of migrants.

Advertisement

AP reports:

The transfer of migrants has gained momentum since Republican governors in Texas and Florida started chartering buses and planes to Democratic-led cities in what critics waved off as political stunts. More than a year later, some of those cities, their resources dwindling, are eager to help migrants move on to their final destinations.

The efforts show the increased pressures cities are facing as more migrants from around the globe are coming to the U.S. southern border, often fleeing economic turmoil. Illegal border crossings topped 2 million during the government’s fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the second-highest number on record.

With many migrants in shelters or living on the street, the next phase of the challenge is getting them to their families, friends or court cases, said Mario Russell, director at the Center for Migration Studies of New York.

That “has been in a sense dropped into the laps of interior cities without much preparation, without much forethought really at any level,” Russell added.

Denver alone has spent at least $4.3 million in city funds to send migrants to other U.S. cities, freeing up shelter beds for new arrivals while adding to the numbers in other Democratic-led cities such as Chicago and New York that are struggling to house asylum-seekers, mostly from Venezuela.

Fox News added:

A spokesperson for the city’s government confirmed the figures to Fox News Digital.

“We provide migrant guests who wish to stay in Denver with shelter and support. However, we also understand that many individuals arriving in Denver from the southern border have other destinations in mind,” the spokesperson said. “This is often because they have built-in support systems from family and friends in those cities, or because they believe they will have a better chance at finding work that suits their skills.”

“Our priority is to ensure migrant guests are treated fairly and are placed in the situation that fits their needs. Individual tickets are purchased based on destination requests directly from migrants to various cities, after insurances are gathered that the individual or family truly desires the intended location,” they said.

CBS reported that the transport costs are for plane, bus and train tickets, although the number of plane tickets was relatively few with only a few hundred purchased.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was one of a number of mayors who recently appealed to the White House for financial help from the federal government. They are seeking $5 billion in aid, while the administration is seeking around $1.4 billion from Congress as part of a $14 billion supplemental for border security.

Denver confirmed in September that its expenses for migrant sheltering were close to $25 million. The city had declared a state of emergency late last year after numbers shot up in December.

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.


We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.