A cash-strapped Colorado city signaled it would not support any more migrants shipped to the Denver suburb from around the country — with one official stressing, “We just don’t have the money.”
The Aurora City Council approved a resolution 7-3 that made clear the city of close to 400,000 people would not provide housing or other resources to migrants, as well as homeless people, who are bused to the district, the Denver Post reported.
The action came the same week that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott boasted about sending about 16,500 migrants from the Lone Star State to Denver, which is a sanctuary city just next to Aurora.
“This is not about not supporting our immigrant community, this is about a crisis that has affected major cities,” Councilwoman Francois Bergan said during Monday’s meeting.
“It’s not to be divisive, it’s just reality. We just don’t have the money.”
The resolution affirmed that Aurora remained a non-sanctuary city and the city does “not currently have the financial capacity to fund new services related to this crisis and demands that other municipalities and entities do not systematically transport migrants or people experiencing homelessness.”
The resolution also called on the federal government to “perform its constitutional duty” and secure the border.
Another Councilwoman, Angela Lawson, said the resolution was about “being fiscally responsible,” noting the city would be forced to cut service as they struggle to help the homeless population that lives in Aurora.
She said she has friends in Denver that can’t go to their recreation center and are facing other service reductions to their frustration.
“We’re already stressed as it is,” Lawson said, rejecting the notion the action was discriminatory.
Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky called the bussing of migrants to the city “inhumane” because other local governments know Aurora can’t provide the appropriate resources.
The city already declared it was a non-sanctuary city back in 2017, according to Denver ABC 7.
Councilwoman Crystal Murillo voted against the resolution because she said it was “pitting groups of marginalized communities and people in need against one another.”
“We’re playing on a narrative of fear,” she insisted.
The surge of migrants coming across the southern border has strained numerous cities across the country, including major metropolitans like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City.
The Big Apple has seen an influx of more than 150,000 migrants since the start of the crisis with tens of thousands being cared for by the city.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams opened the door on Tuesday to a change in the city’s sanctuary laws to better cooperate with ICE when a migrant is suspected of committing a major crime or is a repeat offender.
But NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams made clear the City Council would not be touching the existing laws Wednesday.