Virtue signaling hits the fan on immigration

... For 15 months, City Hall has grappled with supporting the influx of 40,000 illegal immigrants [illegal aliens] from South and Central America.

The resulting financial storm has drained Denver taxpayers of $63 million... With just $14 million reimbursed by the state and federal governments [by taxpayers], city officials were compelled to slash critical public services, including DMV facilities and rec centers.

The enrollment of 4,000 non-English speaking migrant children since last summer has also shorted Denver Public Schools some $18 million this school year, without reimbursement.

Beyond the financial toll, Denver’s migrant crisis has exacerbated longstanding social challenges - amplifying historic homelessness, crime and deaths by fentanyl poisoning, a fatal consequence of illicit drug trafficking at the Southern border.

Tent cities sprung up on sidewalks. Parks and street corners became makeshift shelters. The sense of safety and security has eroded.

As The Denver Gazette editorialized this week, this “collateral damage” is “part of the price of living in a sanctuary for illegal immigration.”

In 2019, Colorado lawmakers barred local governments from aiding federal immigration enforcement or sharing vital judicial information with federal officials. Then, in 2023, the General Assembly further fueled the fire by prohibiting local governments from being involved in immigration detention...

Overburdened by untenable financial costs, the Johnston administration reluctantly scaled back the planned $180 million in migrant to a still-hefty $120 million...

After shuttering a few shelters and reinstating time limits, City Hall now implores migrants to seek refuge elsewhere...