Denver official suggests migrants go to NYC, warning they would ‘suffer even more’ if they stay

A Denver official recently encouraged new migrants there to pack their backs for New York or other US cities – warning they would “suffer even more” if they stayed in the Colorado capitol, according to reportedly obtained footage.

City worker Andres Carrera told a group of migrants staying inside a shelter that Denver didn’t have the resources to support them as he made clear “the opportunities are over,” according to a video obtained by 9 News and aired over the weekend.

“We are not going to block you if you want to stay here … I am here to tell you know your path is not over,” Carrera reportedly said in Spanish to the group that reached Denver on March 26.  

“If you stay here you are going to suffer even more and I don’t want to see this.” 

Carrera, the city’s newcomer communication liaison, also said the city “received too many migrants and that is why we ran out of resources,” the 9 News clip showed.

Instead, he offered migrants the chance to get on a bus, paid for by the city, for another destination, including the Big Apple, which has struggled with its own major influx of migrants.  

“New York gives you more,” Carrera, also political director for Mayor Mike Johnston, said. “Chicago gives you more. So I suggest you go there where there is longer-term shelter. There are also more job opportunities there.” 

“You don’t have to walk anywhere, we can buy you a free ticket. You can go to any city. We can take you up to the Canadian border, wherever,” Carrera reportedly told the group, though the city clarified to the station that it would only take migrants near the northern border, but not over it.

Denver houses individual migrants for two weeks and migrant families with children for six weeks before kicking them out of shelters as the city has faced possible budget cuts, the station reported.

Major cities across the nation have dealt with a crush of border-crossers for more than a year.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has consistently bragged about the more than 100,000 migrants that have been shipped by bus to so-called sanctuary cities since August 2022.  

New York has faced the brunt of the newcomers with Mayor Eric Adams calling the situation facing Gotham a “crisis.” He has also encouraged migrants to find other areas in the country to stay as the city’s resources have been stretched thin.

Carrera, the Denver official, near the end of his talk, asked how many migrants wanted to leave for another city, but few showed any interest, 9 News reported.

But when asked who wants to stick in Denver, a migrant reportedly replied “todos,” which means everyone. 

An email sent to the Denver mayor’s office about the clip was not immediately returned Sunday night.