The more than 42, 000 immigrants who have arrived in Denver over the past year and a half have cost the area as much as$ 340 million, according to a report from the free-market Common Sense Institute. The town of Denver, nearby school districts, and the state’s health- maintenance system have spent between$ 216 million and$ 340 million combined to shelter, feed, clothe, and inform the migrants, and to provide them with emergency medical care.
According to National Review, the report builds on a previous report from March, which conservatively estimated the region’s cost of at least$ 170 million.  ,” Prices are always localized”, said DJ Summers, the institution’s research director. ” They expand downward”.
Political leaders are being blamed for , their loving demeanor toward immigrants frequently, and their shelter- city policies, which curtail law enforcement’s ability to cooperate with national immigration agents.  , Since soon December 2022, at least 42, 269 refugees— or “newcomers” as Denver officials call them — have arrived in the city, adds National Review.
According to a statement from the Common Sense Institute, the migrant crisis has also had a significant impact on local disaster areas, causing them to pay a lot of money. Since , December 2022, workers have made more than 16, 000 trips to station emergency departments. At an estimated cost of about$ 3, 000 per visit, that has resulted in nearly$ 48 million in uncompensated care.
Summers claimed that those charges are” stressing existing health care companies,” but that they also directly result in higher insurance costs for occupants.
According to the Common Sense Institute review, the largest economic hit has been suffered by rail school districts, with estimates ranging between$ 98 million and$ 222 million. The difficulty in figuring out how many new international students are connected to the migrant crisis contributed to the huge cost range.
The researchers found that since December 2022, 15, 725 international students have enrolled in local colleges. Of those, 6, 929 have come from the five states most closely identified with the migratory problems — Venezuela, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
On average, it costs a small over$ 14, 000 to teach a student for a time in a Denver- place public university, but Summers said migrant students possible charge more.
” They have transportation needs that are different, they have acculturation needs that are going to be different, language assistance needs that are going to be different”, he said. ” Many of them might need to obtain up to speed in education. They may have outdoors tutoring”.
Colorado legislators approved$ 24 million in state revenue earlier this year to assist school districts statewide in resolving budget problems involving immigrant students.
Summers claimed that the updated Common Sense Institute tally may also contain expenses related to the continuous immigrant problems.
” There are undoubtedly additional fees. We just do n’t have a great way to measure them just yet”, he said, noting legal fees, crime, and unreported business and nonprofit expenses.
