December 21, 2022 – Last week the City of Denver declared an emergency due to extraordinary numbers of rapidly arriving migrants placing a strain on available resources. This occurrence, plus the pending change to Title 42, has caused concern from El Paso County Commissioners that consequences of decisions made by the White House and the City of Denver could overflow into our county boundaries.
El Paso County Commissioners are committed to caring for our residents’ needs, and support legal immigration, however the humanitarian crisis at the border, created by the White House refusing to enforce our laws, is not compassionate. These failures, along with the sanctuary status of our northern neighbor is a false beacon, beckoning to many who wish to seek the blessings of America, causing them to make a dangerous journey, enticing them to break the law, and ultimately resulting in a desperate scramble to keep these individuals from ending up on the streets in the cold.
El Paso County is dedicated to welcoming those who come to the US legally, and indeed we are extremely sympathetic to those seeking asylum through legal channels from countries such as Venezuela that have been destroyed by communism. We believe in the rule of law and will work to keep our community safe by not inviting individuals who are not here legally, and whose backgrounds and potential health concerns have not been vetted, into our county. We need a secure border, a safe and legal path for immigration, and implore President Biden to focus his efforts on this humanitarian crisis. We would also urge the City of Denver to reconsider it’s status as a sanctuary city for the sake of those who are being lured under false pretenses, and neighboring cities and counties, like ours, whose residents will likely feel the burden as this emergency spills over into our boundaries.