DENVER (KDVR) — A whistleblower who works with migrants for the city of Denver is sounding the alarm about the coming cold front, saying migrant families with children could be days away from staying in cold weather once their shelter stays end.
As of Tuesday, Denver has served more than 25,000 migrants, and more than 3,200 of them have been bused from Texas since May 18. As of Tuesday, 2,300 were sheltered in non-city-owned facilities.
The city employee did not want to be identified because of fear of retaliation but told NewsNation affiliate KDVR that this operation to care for migrants started with good intentions and has now become a loop of desperation.
“I’m just honestly afraid that somebody is going to die,” the city employee said.
On Tuesday, migrants were seen setting up encampments on the northwest side of the city.
Migrant encampments set up
Since last winter, city employees have been processing migrants who arrive in Denver.
“Their primary positions were, like, eligibility checks for people getting food stamps and things like that,” the city employee said.
The job was one the city employee said was too much for the city to handle, despite its intentions. KDVR’s source was compelled to come forward with the story of children, babies and families timing out of shelters, and who could be forced to live in tents or worse.
“20-day-old babies outside, there’s 2- and 3-year-olds,” the city employee said. “They don’t even necessarily have tents out there, just kind of a tarp with a mattress on the ground.”
The prospects are grim for the migrants, according to the city employee: “(It is) this loop of despair that’s not — it just shows no sign of changing, and it’s just going to get worse.”
The city of Denver said it is in constant communication with its nonprofit partners for long-term options for migrants. The city said some migrants are moved to other shelters, depending on capacity.
The city said it will activate its cold weather shelter plan, which unsheltered migrants will be part of once the weather starts changing.
