Denver, a sanctuary city, is considering proposal to house migrants in elementary school: mayor's office
Fox News confirmed Friday that a vacant elementary school building in Denver, Colorado, may be turned into a migrant shelter.
A spokesperson for Democratic Mayor Mike Johnston said the building has been "identified as a potential migrant shelter, but nothing is final and there's no paperwork," adding the city has been "looking for buildings that would be suited as an emergency shelter."
A spokesperson for Denver Public Schools, which owns the vacant building, told Fox News, "No determination has been made yet."
ICE CONFIRMS AURORA, COLORADO GANG MEMBERS ARE IN THE UNITED STATES ILLEGALLY, RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN
Denver is a sanctuary city, meaning it does not enforce immigration law, nor does the city cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
"The location you reference has been looked at as a possible site to provide temporary shelter for newcomers," Jon Ewing, a spokesperson for the Denver mayor's office, clarified to Fox News. "No decisions have been made, nor contracts signed.
"It’s also probably worth pointing out that very few newcomers are in shelter at this time. In all of August, we saw around 150 people come through our shelter system, many of whom stayed for only a matter of hours before departing for other locations."
GOP lawmakers have sounded the alarm on sanctuary city and open border policies in light of transnational gang activity in Colorado. The Tren de Aragua gang has been involved in apartment takeovers in Aurora, as seen in viral surveillance video that surfaced last week.
"The situation in Aurora, Colorado, is just the tip of the iceberg of the problems that come with the Biden-Harris administration's open border policies. While gangs overrun our cities, Gov. Polis and Mayor Coffman are complicit in the violence unfolding there that is putting Americans in danger," Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna told Fox News Digital.
"These criminals are reportedly involved in human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors. We must quickly put an end to the wave of illegal aliens pouring into our country and ensure that justice is served for the victims of these monstrous acts."
VENEZUELAN GANG’S ALLEGED TAKEOVER OF AURORA, COLORADO APARTMENTS BEGAN IN 2023: REPORT
Four Venezuelan nationals confirmed to be involved with Tren de Aragua were arrested in Aurora in a shooting outside one of the overtaken apartment buildings July 28.
In a letter shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation, GOP lawmakers wrote, "The Biden-Harris Administration’s open border policies coupled with the state of Colorado’s sanctuary policies and the city of Denver’s sanctuary city status have fueled and exasperated the immigration crisis in Colorado."
The GOP lawmakers who penned the letter include Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and Lauren Boebert, Doug Lamborn and Greg Lopez of Colorado.
"Multiple local elected officials and the nonpartisan Perkins Coie law firm that was hired to investigate the takeover have confirmed numerous criminal acts committed by TdA gang members including threats of murder, robbery, extortion, trespassing, assaults and battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, drug related crimes, stolen vehicles, human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors," the letter continued.
"Non sanctuary cities and neighboring communities have suffered harm from these policies and don’t have the resources or authorities to mitigate the influx of illegal aliens and TdA gang members."
Aurora City Council Member Danielle Jurinsky told Fox News Digital, "Denver's sanctuary policies and their approach to handling this migrant crisis is further exacerbating the problem and continuing to put American kids last."
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The offices of representatives Roy and Boebert did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment before publication.