AURORA | On the heels of Colorado Springs pushing back against a wave of immigrants coming to Colorado, two Aurora city lawmakers are working to prevent immigrant and homeless proponents from bringing them to Aurora for shelter or services.
A proposed city resolution sponsored by council members Danielle Jurinsky and Steve Sundberg drew immediate criticism from local homelessness and immigrant activist groups.
“While we agree that the federal government must step up and provide support and funding to address both the migrant crisis and the ongoing crisis of homelessness, this resolution seems to be a solution in search of a problem,” said Cathy Alderman, spokesperson for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. “If this resolution were to pass, the City of Aurora will have closed its doors and announced that people experiencing homelessness and migrants are not welcome no matter their circumstances which in my opinion is punitive and unproductive.”
The draft resolution is slated for discussion 1 p.m. Friday at a city council committee meeting, which will be livestreamed on YouTube. Jurinsky is the vice chairperson of this committee.
The proposed resolution states that “the city is proud of its identity as the most diverse and Global City in the state.” However, according to the 96-page document, the committee wants to “benefit the residents of the City of Aurora” by demanding that organizations stop transporting migrants and those experiencing homelessness to the city “without an agreement to address the financial impact and coordination of services.”
The draft resolution was posted with a committee agenda Thursday afternoon. It was immediately unclear whether the city has the authority to restrict the movement or transportation of homeless people or immigrants.
The resolution states that the city has limited resources to support the influx of migrants “and offering sanctuary or support is impossible,” the document states.
It also states that the city will not fund services and staff resources for migrant support, and that the city wants the federal government to take immediate action to address the migrant crisis.
Alderman added that this proposed resolution would affect homeless veterans’ access to the healthcare they are entitled to receive. Several Veterans Affairs clinics are located in Aurora.
The Colorado Immigration Rights Coalition also criticized the move, saying the group is also “deeply disappointed” by the proposed resolution.
“Aurora has one of the highest immigrant populations in the state and has taken pride in the past in being a welcoming city to all who want to make Aurora their home. We urge the city council to reconsider their position and recognize the valuable contributions immigrants make, not only to the city, but the entire state of Colorado,” CIRC officials said in a statement.
Colorado Springs city council members approved a similar statement earlier this week, stating that the state’s second largest city is not a “sanctuary city” and advises immigrants not to go there for refuge or services.
Henry Sandman, co-executive director of the coalition said, “We are concerned by this wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric across the country and within our state and ask our elected officials to not turn their backs on those seeking to build a better life.”
The proposed resolution was made public a day after several Denver metro area community members, including elected officials and volunteers, sat at a roundtable hosted by Sen. John Hickenlooper to discuss the migrant crisis.
Aurora City Councilmember Alison Coombs and Arapahoe County Commissioner Leslie Summey attended the roundtable with at least a dozen other people. Among them were volunteers who donate food, clothing and other resources to migrant families. The volunteers, and those working for nonprofit organizations, said that they felt compelled to step because the government is not providing those resources.
“The current stance of our city council is that they don’t believe we should do anything,” Coombs said at the roundtable. “They believe the consequence of us doing nothing is [the federal government] making sure no more people come here.”
Coombs also acknowledged the work done by Aurora nonprofits such as the Migrant Response Network, Village Exchange Center and Aurora Economic Opportunity Coalition.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
Naturally Alison Coombs, the socialist is against this movement. She would spend every dollar in our city budget for the homeless or anyone else that can’t or won’t help themselves.
Thanks to Danielle and Steve for their attempt to help the silent majority of Aurora citizens who do not want the homeless and Biden’s immigrants selecting Aurora for their free ride to life. I hope all the citizens of Aurora speak out and support them before we have an economic tragedy, like Denver is having right now.
It is the extreme agenda of many of Colorado’s elected officials that keeps us from moving back to our home state. We left in 2001 due to a job transfer, I retired last January and we considered moving back to Colorado. But after a trip back last summer and close monitoring of the state of the state, it is clear the Colorado we remember no longer exists. The out of control gun violence, drug culture, homeless and illegal immigration invasion makes it impossible for us to even consider coming back. We drove by our old neighborhood in Aurora (Iliff and Buckley) and we could not believe how run down and trashy it looked. We didn’t even feel safe to get out of the car.
Hmmm so socialism is bad? I kind of like our libraries, fire department, police department….
This is an old “tired” too often used argument, Susan G. I suppose you already know this.
Socialism as defined by the DSA is to eliminate capitalism in our Country. That’s how we have lived since the inception in 1776. Not a lot of our city socialists care about our police department as just a small side note.
There’s so many biases evident in how this is framed. Aurora does not have the capacity to support ever increasing masses of homeless people (residents or not) and seeking to do so is misappropriating taxpayer money and will ultimately have a detrimental effect on those paying in (see Denver, LA, NY). This includes the diverse population we already have that is here, working, and paying into the system. It’s not hypocritical to draw the line.
Saying no is not doing nothing. Saying no is standing up for everyone here that’s carrying their own weight, that wants to retire someday instead of endlessly supporting everyone on the planet that wants a free ride. Remember the saying, “You give an inch, they take a mile.” Well we’ve been taken. And it’s time for it to stop.
It’s correct that until every city, town, and county across the country says “enough” the federal government isn’t going to take responsibility.
So far, we’ve watched a train wreck on our border protection brought about by the Biden administration. This pathetic non-enforcement of the border further championed with a clown car from our own Colorado federal lawmakers. Together for the fundamental transformation favoring illegal immigration through the porous border, these federal lawmakers hold on to this hard course. At least council Jurinsky and Sundberg recognize the local effects this has created and have run out of patience. Thus, both are willing to make some noise in direct disagreement with Crow, DeGette, Pettersen, Bennet, Hickenlooper all due to their sponsorship open boarder illegal influx. Undoubtedly these federal lawmakers can’t be bothered by overwhelming these cities into bankruptcy.
Despite the federal lawmaker’s poor governance, good for these two, sounds like they are up for the struggle.
The significant core question remains. Does Aurora actually have any capable means of enforcing anything anymore?
Much less something that is going to be as politically charged as this?
Words cannot express my anger, disgust or embarrassment. This proposal illustrates the distain Sundberg and Jurinsky hold for our city and its residents. A spit in the eye to Aurora’s diversity and our communities
So let’s change our motto to reflect this city council. No one is welcome here…go home. stay away…. we just don’t care… we don’t want/allow immigrants to live here
I’m so sorry this proposal offends you, Susan. Many Aurora citizens think differently than you do. It makes me say, “It’s about time” we eliminate free loaders in our city and it is correct to solve this problem.
It seems Denver could use your tax dollars. Would your move be just around the corner?
But I do really like your proposed change of Aurora’s motto.
Great reply Dick Moore! I don’t live in CO, but I live in another radical state – Minnesota where the left wants MN now to become a sanctuary state. It is unbelievable what it happening. I would also like to see the media quit referring to those illegally crossing the U.S. border as “immigrants”. They are illegal aliens – don’t care who that offends. I also noticed the article referenced homeless veterans in the context of these illegals – this also needs to stop. Let’s take care of our U.S. veterans – PERIOD!
You’re not bright and likely live on government cheese…
They should have had a plan B before they came. We a trying to take care of ourselves and families. They didn’t do all of this for us when covid hit. People loosing there job, homeless, can’t pay bills, evictions, etc but you are going to do this for some illegal aliens. You take care of home first then worry about others.
Why is it that everyone can’t understand this situation as you and I do?