Since 2022, the area of Denver has experienced an escalating influx of migrants, a phenomenon that was officially recognized by ex-Mayor Michael Hancock on the 15th of December, 2024 when he declared a state of emergency. This two-year period saw approximately 43,000 migrants, primarily originating from Venezuela, settling down in Denver in the aftermath of Hancock’s proclamation.
A significant proportion of these arrivals occurred in January, with the cold weather forcing over 5,000 migrants to seek shelter in the city’s emergency facilities. According to the Mayor Mike Johnston’s office, around 21,000 migrants have continued to reside within the metropolitan region.
To address the growing crisis, the city had initially prepared sleeping arrangements at city-run recreation centers, and subsequently rented hotel rooms which were converted into accommodating shelters for the migrant population. The beginning of the second year saw an unprecedented number of migrants in city shelters, leading to a financial crunch that resulted in service hour deductions in Denver Parks & Recreation and the Department of Motor Vehicles.
As the seasons turned to spring, Denver city took the initiative to employ an immigration attorney to helm a newly instituted program designed for newcomers in the area. The city was transitioning from managing the emergency surge to readying the migrants for their forthcoming life in Denver.
Nonprofit organizations played an invaluable role in aiding the migrants to assimilate into the local community. Organisations such as ViVe Wellness and Papagayo were instrumental in not only educating migrant children in English and enrolling them in schools, but also facilitating their relationship with housing options upon their exit from city shelters and aiding in work permit applications.
Yoli Casas, the administrative head of ViVe Wellness, estimated the migrant families who sought out Denver during this time to be around 30,000, inclusive of 8,000 children. She conjectured that approximately 18,000 migrants have retained their residence in Denver, with a considerable number making their way to Alamosa, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Greeley, Pueblo, and other mountain towns.
In the years of 2022 to early 2023, ViVe Wellness functioned on a team of around a dozen members, as stated by Casas. By the time 2024 dawned, the team had grown manifold, boasting a full-fledged team of 200 members dedicated in assisting the migrants.
Over the summer, the influx of migrants began to gradually winds down, marking a lessening impact on the city’s resources. Toward the end of spring, hotels being employed as migrant shelters were shut down. By the onset of June, the city had seen the last of the buses bringing in migrants, with no further reported arrivals since.
In time, Denver city had shut down its final migrant-designated hotel on the 30th of June. Though, a select few shelters continued functioning including a church, a warehouse, and the Mullen Home which previously served as an assisted-living facility.
The closure of the last migrant hotel coincided with officials reporting vacant migrant shelters within the city for the first time since Mayor Hancock declared the state of emergency. However, since the beginning of July, the shelters reportedly housed fewer than 26 migrants on a nightly basis.
According to a report put forth in November by the Common Sense Institute, the emergency declaration since 2022 had incurred a total expenditure of $356 million on the part of Denver taxpayers. This sum was the collective cost of migrant care within the city of Denver and across regional healthcare and educational institutions.