Illegal immigrants at a Denver, Colorado encampment that is set to be removed are refusing to leave until the city meets a list of 13 demands, which include access to "fresh, culturally appropriate ingredients" for food, unlimited showers, "the same housing support that has been offered to others," legal services, and fair warning before kicking them out.
The majority of the migrants at the Colorado encampment eventually accepted Denver’s offer to stay at a shelter on Wednesday. FOX31 Denver
The group, which had been staying at an encampment under busy Central Park Boulevard in northeast Denver, before relocating under a bridge near the Denver Airport, sent their demands to Mayor Mike Johnson (D) on Wednesday, according to the nonprofit Housekeys Action Network Denver, which posted them to Facebook and said the demands were "incredibly reasonable and doable" and would ensure "long-term stability and opportunities for all."
The nonprofit also criticized the city for "poor conditions and lack of accountability that resulted in many of these same individuals finding themselves on the streets after having gone thru [sic] the system."
The full list of demands is as follows;
- Migrants will cook their own food with fresh, culturally appropriate ingredients provided by the City instead of premade meals - rice, chicken, flour, oil, butter, tomatoes, onions, etc... Also people will not be punished for bringing in & eating outside food.
- Shower access will be available without time limits & can be accessed whenever - we are not in the military, we’re civilians.
- Medical professional visits will happen regularly & referrals/connections for specialty care will be made as needed.
- All will receive the same housing support that has been offered to others. They cannot kick people out in 30 days without something stable established.
- There needs to be a clear, just process before exiting someone for any reason - including verbal, written, & final warnings.
- All shelter residents will receive connection to employment support, including work permit applications for those who qualify.
- Consultations for each person/family with a free immigration lawyer must be arranged to discuss/progress their cases, & then the City will provide on-going legal support in the form of immigration document clinics, & including transportation to relevant court dates.
- The City will provide privacy for families/individuals within the shelter.
- No more verbal or physical or mental abuse will be permitted from the staff, including no sheriff sleeping inside & monitoring 24/7 - we are not criminals & won’t be treated as such.
- Transportation for all children to & from their schools will be provided until they finish in 3 weeks.
- No separating families, regardless of if family members have children or not. The camp will stay together.
- The City must schedule a meeting with the Mayor & those directly involved in running the Newcomer program ASAP to discuss further improvements & ways to support migrants.
- The City must provide all residents with a document signed by a City official in English & Spanish with all of these demands that includes a number to call to report mistreatment of if they aren’t
In response, Johnson's office offered the migrants the ability to stay in a city shelter for seven days instead of the initial three.
"We’ve been offering time and shelter, basically just trying to get families to leave that camp and come inside," Denver Human Services spokesperson Jon Ewing told 9News.
As the Epoch Times notes further, the migrant crisis is costing Denver bigly, as the group’s refusal to leave the encampment comes as Denver is battling with a $180 million budget gap as the illegal immigrant crisis continues to weigh heavily on the city.
In February, Mr. Johnston told reporters the city needs to slash roughly $18 million per month from public services throughout 2024 in order to fund the costs of providing services to illegal immigrants arriving in the city.
At the time, the Democrat called the cuts a “plan for shared sacrifice” that would help both “newcomers” illegally crossing the border and taxpayers who expected certain services in the city.
“This is what good people do in hard situations as you try to manage your way to serve all of your values. Our values are: we want to continue to be a city that does not have women and children out on the street in intense and 20-degree weather,” he said.
In its post on Facebook, Housekeys Action Network Denver said it was not up to Mr. Johnston to “accept and support the very migrants he says he appreciates and defends in his speeches.”
“Now is the time to support these individuals with sustainable, stable plans that also provide them with the autonomy and self-determination they want!!!” the organization said.
The Epoch Times reached out to Denver Human Services for further comment but did not receive a response by press time.
