(The Center Square) – In January, the city of Denver called its migrant crisis “unsustainable” due to the constant arrival of noncitizens. However, the city said this week that it hasn’t received a bus of newly arriving migrants since June 11.
A new report shows that charter bus arrivals in Denver with migrants sent from Texas have dropped off significantly.
Denver is seeing a significant drop in charter buses arriving from the southern border, reporting no new buses coming in since June, according to documents from the Aug. 20, 2024, Newcomer program update.
In December 2023, Denver received 144 charter buses from Texas; in January 2024, they received 39. The number dropped to seven in February, but it picked up again in March with 25 charter buses, followed by another 27 charter buses in April, said the city in an email to The Center Square.
By May 2024, Denver reported receiving 12 charter buses of migrants, tapering off to four in June and zero in July. The city said it had yet to receive a bus in August.
The city said the drop in the number of buses is due to the city changing its policies to emphasize the long-term support for newcomers currently in Denver over the emergency response the city had favored until that point. The other reason for the decline of charter buses making their way to Denver has been President Joe Biden’s border order, which was announced on June 4, 2024. The order barred migrants who cross the southern border illegally from receiving asylum.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced the first charter bus arriving in Denver on May 18, 2023, after sending buses to Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The Governor doubled down at the Republican National Convention in July, stating the buses will continue to roll until the border is secured. Abbott’s office didn’t respond to an email from The Center Square.
According to its website, Denver has assisted 42,703 migrants from the southern border since December 2022, costing taxpayers over $72 million.