Denver is starting 2024 with a record migrant surge,
the number of people sheltered here hitting its highest record
since the city began reporting migrant data.
The city's latest numbers show more than
4400 people in shelters, more than double from this same
time last year.
And with more than 300 new arrivals since yesterday,
the migrant surge shows no sign of slowing
#7. Chief investigative reporter Tony Kovaleski is digging into the
migrant influx tonight,
and Tony, sources reached out to you over the weekend.
They had some new significant information about several buses arriving
in one Denver neighborhood.
Yeah, Jessica and Jessica, let me first stress the information
we have gathered
comes from reliable sources, but it is not yet confirmed
by the city.
Here's what we have learned.
As many as 19 buses and vans loaded with migrants
stopped at three big box parking lots on Friday,
we are told. The buses unloaded the migrants between 8:00
AM and 1:00 in the afternoon at the Home Depot,
Walmart and Sam's Club off of Quebec in the Central
Park neighborhood
one day. I can't say they're they're really polite.
Greg Lenora works as a security guard.
His company got hired to protect this Sam's Club after
the migrants were dropped off on Friday.
They're not saying anything like maliciously or angry.
They're just, you know, they're here to get money.
Multiple sources confirming to Denver 7 some of the migrants
dropped here on Friday came back on Saturday trying to
find work.
Some had, like spray bottles in hands with
paper towels ready to wipe down windshields.
And others were helping customers to their car,
help them load it up,
whatever they needed. And no,
afterwards they were asked for a little money.
According to this security guard,
Others found other ways to try and make money from
the store's parking lot.
Someone told me actually, that people were getting charged to
park in the parking spots and they were told that
they couldn't park if they didn't pay.
I think the frustrating thing for us is we know
this problem is solvable.
Also on Friday, Denver's mayor took his concerns to the
national media.
They should have federal dollars to help support them in
the cities that they arrive in,
and we should have a coordinated national plan for where
those folks arrive.
Specifically, Denver's mayor joined mayors from Chicago and New York
calling for the federal government to step in with resources.
That's why we're pushing Congress to act on those things.
Action to help cities like Denver,
where some estimates show more than 100 migrant filled buses
arrived in December alone.
Challenges for the migrants, challenges for the cities where they
now call home You're working today,
the store is closed. What's that?
Say we're we're basically making sure that they know that
they can't set up camp here and we're really neat
to be a presence here because
it it makes them know that what they're doing is
making the other customers feel uncomfortable and they have to
stop.
As we said earlier, we also reached out to ranking
sources inside the city of Denver.
Both said they were not aware of the Friday migrant
arrivals in Central Park.
But both also said they are now digging deeper.
Jessica All right, thank you Tony for digging into that
and looking deeper here.
The city is now working to close a large migrant
encampment near Spear and Zuni St.
by Wednesday and offer housing to the hundreds of people
living there today,
a large group of protesters outside the state Capitol in
opposition of that camp closure.
We spoke with one organizer concerned for migrant families who
can't work and have nowhere to go.
We don't want people spread out all over the city.
We want them to stay together so they can care
for one another and they can continue to support each
other to find work.
Advocates are now calling Governor Polis to declare a state
of emergency,
to address the crisis and to remove legal barriers for
migrant families seeking employment.