English

Denver restricts aid to just one thousand new migrants

MAYOR OF DENVER | Mike Johnston ensures his new plan for migrants is sustainable. (Photo/El Comercio de Colorado)

MAYOR JOHNSTON ANNOUNCES RESTORATION OF CITY SERVICES

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

Haga click aquí para leer la versión en español

Mayor Mike Johnston announced a significant change in the city’s immigration policy with the launch of the “Asylum Seeker Program.” This program, exclusively targeting around one thousand migrants already in Denver who have passed through the city’s shelters, marks a milestone in the local response to migration.

Beneficiaries of this program will receive comprehensive support including six months of rent, food assistance, and job training. With approximately 800 people currently housed in shelters, this program represents a unique opportunity to provide a path to economic independence for newcomers.

Mayor Johnston emphasized that this program represents a fresh start for Denver, offering new immigrants a “real path to work and independence.” However, he acknowledged that with limited capacity to accommodate only one thousand people, slots are restricted. Although the program prioritizes migrants already present in the city.

Responding to Criticisms

In response to criticisms from both the left and the right, Mayor Johnston defended the program’s sustainability. In the mayor’s words, “we believe that everyone in the U.S. should be working and should be working hard to support their city, support their families, support themselves.”

Johnston also assured that the program is designed to provide stability and predictability to the city and its departments in the future. “We are building a model that can serve any city,” he emphasized, responding to concerns from the left about the program’s inadequacy in helping a larger number of migrants.

$45 Million in Cuts

Earlier in 2024, Johnston had indicated that around $180 million would be needed to address the number of migrants arriving. Considering that negative outlook, in February 2024, the city cut services from the DMV offices and recreation centers.

However, the new program will have a cost of $45 million. “With the program changes we’ve made, the way we’ve reduced costs relative to our initial estimate. We only have to achieve $45 million in cuts. So that’s a lot better than what we had estimated earlier in 2024,” said the Mayor of Denver.

Denver restringe ayuda a solo mil nuevos migrantes

DMV and Recreational Centers Functioning Normally

The cuts to fund the new program “come from things like vacancy savings, which is when we have vacant positions that we’re not ready to hire for yet, or are hard to hire for. Our ability to delay those hires saves us a lot of money. We have some capital projects that we’ve delayed,” Johnston explains.

The mayor continued, “we won’t be making cuts in services, and we’ll be reopening all of our recreational centers, all of our parks for full summer programming. And we won’t be laying off or furloughing any city employees. So, we’ve really balanced the budget and will ensure that every resident receives the services they need,” he said.