Denver, a sanctuary city, considers proposal to house migrants in elementary school: mayor’s office

Fox News confirmed Friday that an empty elementary school building in Denver, Colorado, may be converted into a migrant shelter.

A spokesman for Democratic Mayor Mike Johnston said the building “has been identified as a potential migrant shelter, but nothing has been finalized and there is no paperwork,” adding that the city is “looking for buildings that would be suitable as emergency shelters.”

A spokesperson for Denver Public Schools, which owns the vacant building, told Fox News: “No decision has been made yet.”

ICE CONFIRMS AURORA AND COLORADO GANG MEMBERS ILLEGALLY IN US, RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN

Denver is a sanctuary city, meaning that immigration laws are not enforced and the city does not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

“The location you referenced was looked at as a possible location to provide temporary housing for new arrivals,” Jon Ewing, a spokesman for the Denver mayor’s office, told Fox News. “No decisions have been made, no contracts have been signed.

“It’s probably also worth emphasizing that there are very few new arrivals in shelters at the moment. In the whole of August, we saw around 150 people come through our shelter system, many of whom stayed for just a few hours before moving on to other locations.”

Suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang have taken over an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, and are demanding rent in exchange for “protection.” (Edward Romero)

GOP lawmakers have raised alarms about sanctuary city and open border policies in light of transnational gang activity in Colorado. The Tren de Aragua gang has been involved in apartment takeovers in Aurora, as seen in viral surveillance videos that surfaced last week.

“The situation in Aurora, Colorado, is just the tip of the iceberg of the problems associated with the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policy. As gangs overrun our cities, Governor Polis and Mayor Coffman are complicit in the violence unfolding there, putting Americans in danger,” Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna told Fox News Digital.

“These criminals are reportedly involved in human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors. We must quickly put an end to the wave of illegal aliens flooding into our country and ensure justice is done for the victims of these monstrous acts.”

VENEZUELAN GANG’S ALLEGED TAKEOVER OF AURORA, COLORADO APARTMENTS BEGAN IN 2023: REPORT

Four Venezuelan nationals involved in Tren de Aragua were arrested in Aurora on July 28 after a shooting outside one of the occupied apartment buildings.

In a letter shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation, GOP lawmakers wrote: “The Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies, combined with Colorado’s asylum policies and the city of Denver’s status as a shelter city, have fueled and exacerbated Colorado’s immigration crisis.”

The GOP lawmakers who wrote the letter include Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Lauren Boebert, Doug Lamborn and Greg Lopez of Colorado.

According to a resident, this apartment building was overrun by suspected gang members who had changed the locks. (Councillor Danielle Jurinsky)

“Multiple local elected officials and the independent law firm Perkins Coie, which was hired to investigate the takeover, have confirmed that TdA gang members have committed numerous criminal acts, including threats of murder, robbery, extortion, trespassing, assault and battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, drug-related offenses, stolen vehicles, human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors,” the letter said.

“Non-sanctuary cities and adjacent communities have been harmed by these policies and do not have the resources or powers to combat the influx of illegal aliens and TdA gang members.”

Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky told Fox News Digital: “Denver’s sanctuary policies and the way they’re handling the migrant crisis are only making the problem worse and continuing to put American children last.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The offices of Reps. Roy and Boebert did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment prior to publication.