Denver makes major shift in migrant response by extending support to six months but limiting spaces

DENVER — Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced a major shift Wednesday in the city’s response to the migrant crisis, extending support to six months but with only about 1,000 spaces. The mayor’s pivot follows failed attempts to get federal aid and deep cuts to the city’s budget as Denver served a total of nearly 41,000 migrants since the end of 2022. Instead, Denver’s new program will place asylum seekers in apartments for up to six months, provide job and skill training, opportunities to get certifications and unpaid work experience, food assistance and help with asylum applications. In Denver, the roughly 800 migrants currently in city’s shelters would be first in line for the new program, called the Denver Asylum Seeker Program.