The city of Denver spent millions of dollars last year to transport thousands of migrants to other parts of the country, officials confirmed this week.
CBS News first reported that Denver spent nearly $4.5 million to move more than 12,000 migrants out of the state.
A city government spokesperson confirmed these numbers to Fox News Digital.
The costs of sheltering immigrants in the liberal city are approaching $25 million
“We provide migrant guests who wish to remain 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 of family and friends in those cities, or because they believe they will have a better chance of finding work that suits their skills.”
Venezuelan migrants wait in line to get food from a food truck at a migrant processing center on May 9, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. ((Photo by Helen Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images))
“Our priority is to ensure that migrant guests are treated fairly and are placed in a situation that best suits their needs. Individual tickets are purchased based on destination requests directly from migrants to different cities, after collecting deposits that confirm that the individual or family really desires the destination.” Location,” they said.
Transportation costs involved plane, bus and train tickets, although the number of plane tickets was relatively small with only a few hundred purchased, CBS reported.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston was one of a number of mayors who recently appealed to the White House for financial assistance from the federal government. They are seeking $5 billion in aid, while the administration is seeking about $1.4 billion from Congress as part of an additional $14 billion for border security.
Denver confirmed in September that its expenses to accommodate migrants were approaching $25 million. The city declared a state of emergency late last year after the number of infected people increased in December.
New York City intends to reduce police numbers and cut budgets due to spending billions on the migrant crisis
Denver set certain limits immigrant Shelter Earlier this year, including setting a 30-day maximum for how long migrants can stay in the shelter, as well as banning returns and migrants engaging in “illegal activity.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Migrant transportation has been a controversial political issue, especially after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced last year that he would bus migrants to sanctuary cities. He also sent buses to Denver.
Meanwhile, in New York City, where more than 130,000 migrants have arrived since last year, the city has cut education, police and sanitation budgets, citing the mounting costs of the crisis it faces.