Report finds Denver taxpayers are footing skyrocketing costs to feed illegal immigrants

03/25/2024 / By Ava Grace

The way the migrant crisis is affecting Denver is getting even more bleak, as a new report has found that how much the city’s taxpayers are spending to feed illegal immigrants is skyrocketing.

The Denver City Council recently agreed to amend the city’s contract with Colorado Hospitality Services Inc. (CHS) for the provision of meals for “guests” in migrant shelters across the city. The amended contract provides CHS with an additional $450,000 for a new total of $925,000 “for the purchase of meals.”

The newly amended contract between the city and CHS will only be valid until March 31, Which means Denver taxpayers may have to spend nearly $1 million more to provide migrants with meals until 2025. (Related: As city reaches “breaking point,” officials in sanctuary city Denver begin EVICTING illegals from overcrowded shelters.)

“Due to continued high shelter occupancy and feeding of migrants/newcomers, DHS [Denver Human Services] is nearly out of capacity on this PO [purchase order] and is seeking to increase it again.”

Originally, CHS and DHS requested an additional $100,000 on Dec. 1, 2023, for a grand total of $475,000 in spending. On January, CHS and DHS asked the City Council to double its budget for a total of $950,000. This was slightly reduced to the current total of $925,000.

The CHS provided a breakdown of the daily cost for meals it provides. The costs are the same for weekdays, weekends and holidays:

Breakfast: $6.95
Lunch: $9.95
Dinner: $9.95
Kids meals: $3
Snacks: $3

Denver cutting spending on vital city services to provide for migrants

Denver currently has a “Newcomer and Migrant Support” program that allows individuals to donate essentials for migrants such as clothes, to provide cash contributions for the care of migrants and to volunteer at migrant shelters. The funds and goods provided go directly to the city’s nonprofit partners who are handling the influx of illegals.

This is in addition to the taxpayer-funded shelters provided. Migrant families with children can stay for up to six weeks, while those without children will be provided two weeks of shelter before they are discharged.

The city government stated that, while it remains a welcoming city, newcomers will need to arrive with a long-term plan due to Denver’s limited resources. The municipal government stressed that it is unable to provide shelter for indefinite periods of time.

Since the beginning of the migrant crisis, the city of 715,000 residents has provided services to nearly 40,000 illegal immigrants. This has cost the city over $42 million, according to data from the mayor’s office.

All of these services being provided to migrants are coming at the cost of vital city services. Democrat Mayor Mike Johnston recently announced that he was cutting $5 million from the funding of Denver Motor Vehicle offices and the Denver Parks and Recreation.

Denver continues to receive an influx of migrants and the cost is continuing to grow. The aid the city has received from the state and the federal government has done very little to alleviate the crisis.

Denver recently received a $3.5 million reimbursement from the state of Colorado and a $1.6 million advance from the Department of Homeland Security. The city is waiting for an additional $12.2 million in potential federal reimbursements that are currently pending.

The city currently faces a nearly $60 million budget deficit, and Johnston has said that for the city to maintain current services that are provided for migrants, taxpayers would have to pay over $100 million over the next year.

Denver currently faces a nearly $60 million budget deficit, and Johnston has said for the city to maintain current services that are provided for migrants, it would cost taxpayers well over $100 million over the next year.

Watch this Fox Business report on the border crisis showing how Denver is “close to the breaking point.”

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