EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV )- The El Paso County commission released the latest statistics on multiculturalism in the region, taken by the Pikes Peak Office of Emergency Management.
The changes seen between November of 2023 and January of 2024 are reflected in the figures. The report’s features included the effects of healthcare and education, according to state officials.
More than 500 expat students are currently enrolled in El Paso County institutions, according to the report.
Additionally, they first reported that 1,200 new clients who self-identified as refugees had been seen at UCHealth facilities in Colorado Springs. Both Memorial Hospital North and Memorial Hospital Central are particularly affected by this.
But, UCHealth requested a revision in that statement, which caused state officials to publish the information from which this number was derived. These parameters, according to UCHealth authorities, include the fact that these individuals did not offer a Social Security Number, were unemployed and not ready for Medicaid, or patients who gave a racial identity as migrants. However, this did not specify whether or not they had immigration standing, as UCHealth claims they do not inquire about immigration status from individuals.
County authorities reiterated their position on immigration in a release, saying they do not support Colorado’s laws that encourage immigrants to enter the position.
” There was a fake pillar sent, basically, when cities, particularly like Denver, declared themselves a sanctuary”, said District 2 Commissioner Carrie Geitner. ” I believe that our laws, state laws, and other measures that have provided sanctuary to the population have been a false pillar,” he said.
Commissioner Geitner expressed concern about the figures she saw, noting that the number of individuals who may fall under the category of workers with UCHealth has increased by 77 % since the previous year. However, when asked whether an 11 Information writer, who is an American citizen, had been flagged as a possible migrant under the parameters of the data, she said yes.
She continued,” I think you probably could be,” and I believe that’s likely because the environment surrounding the increase rate is so crucial because it helps us sort of understand what’s going on in our society in a wider perspective.
Commissioner Geitner stated that Colorado Springs, and El Paso County as a whole, is not experiencing a significant migrant crisis, but that she wants the state to stay ahead of any possible future issues because of this rise in what appears to be immigrant numbers.
” This is a preventable possible effects to our area, and, you know, we continue to ask the federal government to do their job to take care of this issue”, she said.
However, UCHealth claimed that the statistics reveal a different tale.
With the wide guidelines for tracking workers, Cary Vogrin with UCHealth said these statistics show do present a concerning craze, but she said it’s not an issue with immigration, but instead, plan.
“UCHealth, like another health techniques in Colorado, has seen an increase in under- covered and insured patients overall”, Vogrin said in a speech. Although I would n’t say that patients from other nations are putting pressure on our system, it is important to point out that uninsured and underinsured patients do have an impact financially.
According to Vogrin, UCHealth has not seen any operational effects from the data presented.
However, according to Commissioner Geitner, it’s difficult to protect citizens from what she said could turn out to be a major issue because so many people could be included in these umbrella studies.
In the past, though, Colorado Springs officials have said they want to de- escalate the conversation around immigration, stating the city is not seeing any sort of major problems, but still taking precautions.
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