Denver's mayor: city is running out of resources, need all hands on deck with migrant influx
Many migrants CBS News Colorado spoke with this week said they made their way into the U.S. Before the end of Title 42, the pandemic-era policy that allowed border agents to turn away migrants at the border, because they were scared of the new immigration policies.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock called the situation a humanitarian crisis on Thursday.
"We are in desperate need of emergency shelter space for what will be coming our way, volunteers to help and funding to help cover the cost of staffing, food, supplies and transportation," said Hancock.
The city has also been focused on helping migrants get to other states.
"While sheltering and supporting new arrivals is vital, most of them are trying to get somewhere else in the U.S. and transportation also is a key part of the mission," said Hancock.
Thursday evening one family who got to Denver just a couple of days ago received a free bus ticket to go to New York where they plan to work and eventually make their way to Canada.
Julian Tovar, his wife and kids left Venezuela not only because of corruption but also because they were only making $7 a month. They traveled for eight months and went through a lot.
They went through the Darien Gap, a dangerous region between the borders of Colombia and Panama which is controlled by criminal groups.
People who go through this area face several risks of violence, death and kidnapping. They also went through La Bestia, a freight train migrants use to get from Southern Mexico to the U.S. border. They share they spent many cold nights and difficult days trying to get to the U.S. They spent about two months in Cuidad Juarez and filled out paperwork before deciding to make their way in.
"We decided to turn ourselves into immigration and now we're here," said Tovar.
His young daughter describes their journey as a "bad" time.
She says they crossed rivers and mountains, walked a lot, got on a bus, walked some more, got on another bus and did this for months before getting to the U.S.
But, even though the family is grateful for a new beginning, they remain afraid.
"We are scared to see what is going to happen with Title 8… I mean who knows what will happen now that we are here and iI don't know what is going to happen with us," said Tovar.
In Denver, Hancock expressed if this situation continues they will consider service cuts. The federal government has only reimbursed the city $909,000 of the $16 million they've used to respond to this crisis.
