Denver again limits length of shelter stays as migrant arrivals rise

The “unprecedented” number of migrants landing in Denver in recent weeks has grown so quickly that the city announced plans to once again shorten the length of time individuals can stay in temporary shelters — though it’s extended the time limit for families.

Denver city leaders also requested assistance from the Colorado National Guard in the last week. But because the state had not declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard, state officials instead sent civilian employees to help.

On Tuesday, 122 migrants arrived in Denver, bringing the number of people staying in temporary shelters to 2,510, according to city data. The recent influx has been driven in part by charter buses sent to Denver and other cities by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration as that state contends with a sharp increase in crossings at the Mexican border.

“Over the past week the daily average of new arrivals is nearly 300,” a city news release stated. “These unprecedented numbers are up sharply from even mid-September, when the daily average of newcomers to Denver was 125 and the shelter population was 1,200.”

The city release says the influx “is affecting shelter capacity and straining staffing availability.” It is the third major wave of migrant arrivals since the city began seeing significant numbers of migrants in December. This week’s total in shelters now exceeds last winter’s peak by several hundred.

Starting Wednesday, adult migrants — many of them seeking asylum from Venezuela — will be allowed to remain in city-run temporary shelters for 14 days instead of 21 under the city’s revised limits. Families with children can stay for 37 days instead of 30, allowing them more time.

“I think we would all agree that we’re strained and we’re strained in multiple ways,” Denver Human Services spokesperson Jon Ewing said.

That’s why the city requested additional help from the state. Ewing said the governor’s office has continued working closely with Denver, providing monetary support, resources and staffing.

Conor Cahill, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said in a statement Tuesday that in the last week, “we provided 40 new staff positions to support Denver on the ground, and the state continued its role supporting our nonprofits by allocating another $1 million towards their missions to support Denver’s work.”

That includes helping migrants who want to stay in Colorado to find more permanent housing and jobs (if they have obtained temporary protected legal status that was allowed recently by the federal government). City and state leaders have said that a majority of the migrants are stopping in Denver temporarily on their way to other U.S. cities.

Ewing said the city isn’t yet at imminent risk of running short of money to handle the surge in migrants, but the need for more federal help — which Denver repeatedly has joined other cities in requesting — is critical. City officials also are working out a new contracting setup that may alleviate some staffing concerns.

The city has spent about $26 million helping more than 21,000 migrants who began arriving to Denver since December, and it has received federal and state reimbursements or pledges that amount to half as much.

Though the Texas governor has sent busloads of people to Denver partly to make a political statement, that’s not the sole reason for the latest surge, according to city staff. Groups from El Paso are also chartering buses to Denver.

“We sympathize with El Paso,” Ewing said. “They’re overwhelmed. They’re just trying to get by. It’s just a bad situation all the way around.”

The migrant crisis is a national one, he added, but it’s not being felt evenly throughout the country — several cities, including Denver, are sheltering large numbers of people.

Denver previously used city recreation centers as short-term shelter spaces for migrants, but now it’s sheltering people in hotels and in another city facility.

Ewing said officials expected the large numbers of arrivals to continue for the foreseeable future. As the days get colder, the city is asking for donations of cold-weather clothing. For more information on how to help, visit denvergov.org/Community/Assistance-Programs/Migrant-Support.

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Denver again limits length of shelter stays as migrant arrivals rise

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