Federal funding expected to help Colorado cities with migrant arrivals
Thousands of migrants have fled the violence and persecution in their countries. A migrant who goes by the name of Jeffrey says they feel supported in the city of Denver while waiting for asylum.
"The people who don't have sponsors or help like me when they get to the U.S. they turn to a place of refuge like this… and here they show support by providing us with a roof over our heads, food and clothes," said Jeffrey.
Now in a city like Denver, migrants are surviving thanks to donations.
"Many families donate and they give us these clothes for the cold, to stay warm since we don't have much," added Jeffrey.
Like many migrants in Denver, Jeffrey doesn't plan to stay here, he hopes to go to Houston and work there.
But, in the meanwhile, many migrants just like him have been arriving in cities like Denver, seeking help, and leaving the city without any resources.
Immigration attorney Shawn Meade says he hopes the $800 million approved by Congress to help cities like Denver handle the influx of migrants will make a change.
"Border cities already receive funding to respond to the influx of people, they receive funds for shelter and immediate resources… when a person arrives to cities like Denver they don't receive those funds so what we've seen recently is immigrants are brought hundreds at a time and it falls on charities and donations and private responses," said Meade.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has expressed the city shelters are at capacity and the need for federal funds is crucial.
"The City of Denver has already said that they can't handle it, they don't have the funds, so if they start receiving federal funding hopefully that will provide more opportunities and ability to at least provide basic necessities for a person who immediately arrives to the United States," added Meade.
But that's not the only change, effective immediately now those fleeing their country won't be able to claim asylum at the border.
"The Biden administration is trying to stop the influx of people at the Southern border," added Meade.
The administration expanded the parole process for Venezuelans to Nicaraguans, Haitians and Cubans. This will make it more difficult to seek protection if they do not first claim asylum in countries they pass by on their way to the U.S.
"If somebody is from one of those designated countries and they follow the process, it should be a safer trip to the United States, faster process into the U.S., it allows them to apply for asylum and it avoids going through the headache and disaster that we currently see at the border," said Meade.
Individuals seeing asylum at the border will be ineligible for the parole process and will be subject to expulsion to Mexico.
Mexico will accept returns of 30,000 individuals per month from these four countries who fail to obey these new pathways.
