Denver, Colorado announced budget cuts to the police, sheriff, and fire departments to provide for migrants.
Nearly $90 million will be allocated for illegal immigrants.
Democratic Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said the fund allocation will provide a “long-term, sustainable response to the newcomer crisis that avoids significant cuts to public services,” according to a press release.
Johnston referred to the illegal immigrants as “newcomers.”
“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 in a statement. “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.”
Although Johnston said the effort would avoid significant cuts, Fox 31 reported that the Sheriff’s Department will be cut by 2.2%, the Police Department by 1.9%, and the Fire Department by 0.8%.
The mayor’s office will have the largest budget cut of 9.6%, followed by the Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency with a 6.1% cut.
The mayor’s press release added that Denver has “experienced 16 months of significantly increased migration,” costing the city more than $68 million.
“Approximately half of that cost, $35 million, was paid during just the last four months from December 2023 to March 2024, a period of record-high shelter occupancy,” it noted.
Denver also requested residents house illegal immigrants.
Last month, Jon Ewing of Denver Human Services said the city “put out a feeler to all the landlords we have connections with.”
“Basically said, listen, we’re going to have some newcomers who are going to need housing,” he explained.
