Denver Cuts Taxpayer Services, Diverts $90 Million to Support Illegal Immigrants

The illegal immigrants will be housed in apartments for up to six months. They will also receive job and skills training and food assistance.

Illegal immigrants rest at a makeshift shelter, in Denver on Jan. 6, 2023. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a major shift on April 10, 2024, in the city's response to the migrant crisis, extending support to six months but with only 1,000 spaces. Thomas Peipert/AP Photo

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a major shift Wednesday in the city’s response to the illegal immigrant crisis, extending support to six months but with only about 1,000 spaces.

The city’s nearly $90 million budget plan identifies how it will fund immigrant housing and aid for the remainder of 2024. The mayor’s pivot comes after the city failed to get federal aid. Denver has served more than 40,000 immigrants since late 2022, according to a press release.