The Common Sense Institute’s revised report shows that spending on migrants in Denver has risen to an estimated $356 million.
The estimate, which is $7,900 per foreign national in the city, includes spending by the city, schools, and healthcare institutions.
Since 2022, Denver has had an influx of about 43,000 migrants. The city has received substantial federal funds for migration response.
According to a previous CSI update from May, the city received federal funding for migrant response from the Head Start Program ($13 million), the Federal Emergency Management Agency ($8.6 million), the United States Department of Local Affairs ($1.5 million), and the National Board for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program ($909,000). Overall spending was expected to reach $340 million in May.
The research comes as Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and incoming Trump administration officials continue their public dispute over the role of government and how to handle the growing migrant crisis.
Trump has targeted so-called sanctuary cities such as Denver as part of a larger campaign to combat illegal immigration and crime, as well as deport an unknown number of criminal aliens currently in the United States illegally. Colorado state law prohibits state and municipal agencies from detaining anyone based on ICE detainer requests.
Last week, Johnston told Denverite that the Denver Police Department would be “stationed at the county line to keep [federal immigration agencies] out” and that “you would have 50,000 Denverites there” protesting.
He retracted such remarks in an interview with 9News last Friday.
“Would I have taken it back if I could?” “I probably wouldn’t have used that image,” the mayor told 9News. “That is the image I hope we can avoid.” What I was trying to express was that this is something I hope we can prevent in our country. I don’t think any of us want that.
Johnston also stated that he would join protests if he believed the Trump administration was abusing rights and that he is not frightened to go to jail.
Tom Homan, the former head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement who Trump appointed as the new border czar, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity this week: “Me and the Denver mayor agree on one point. He is willing to go to jail, and I am eager to put him in jail.”
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who will lead a subcommittee working with the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, told Fox News on Sunday that she intends to investigate federal money for sanctuary cities and states.
“I’d like to talk to the governors of sanctuary states and the mayors of sanctuary cities and have them come before our committee and explain why they deserve federal dollars if they’re going to harbor illegal criminal aliens in their states and their cities,” she told us.
According to data from CSI, migrant landings in Denver have dropped to less than a dozen each day this month, down from a peak of over 5,000 one day in January.
“As the national conversation continues around migrants, Denver’s daily arrivals of asylum seekers from the southern border has slowed significantly, but taxpayer costs have continued,” according to the think tank.
