Migrants refuse shelter after 2 Denver encampments swept
Update: On Friday, Denver Human Services said of the approximately 55 people at the Elitch Gardens encampment, some eventually took up the city for aid: 23 accepted shelter and nine asked for onward travel.
DENVER (KDVR) — Migrants and the city of Denver clashed after two camps were swept in one day, one in front of Elitch Gardens and another in southwest Denver.
The migrants refused to be bused to shelters, and the city stopped their efforts to set up at a new site near Bayaud Avenue and Raritan Street. The new site was a landing spot for migrants swept from the Elitch Gardens location.
City officials said the migrants refused to be bused to a shelter as a protest. Josue Duarte, from Venezuela, was part of the new encampment in west Denver.
“Police wanted to give me a citation just for standing on this block,” Duarte said.
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Officers from the Denver Police Department’s Street Engagement Team helped clear an encampment composed mostly of single men like Duarte.
“We’re gathering our things and looking for another place to camp because shelters don’t follow through with supplies they promised,” Duarte said.
What Denver says about migrant camp sweeps
FOX31 spoke with a city representative about the situation.
“For the last week, we’ve been really doing intensive outreach,” said Jon Ewing, with Denver Human Services.
Ewing said the city had been more than accommodating to migrants ahead of the sweep at Elitch Gardens.
“We told everyone there,” Ewing said. “We’ve communicated to them that we can provide them three weeks in congregate shelter, we can connect you with nonprofits, we can do a lot of good work in three weeks.”
One complaint has been about food, which the city said is offered at shelters.
“(We) even worked with maybe being able to cook a little bit there because that’s been an issue there,” Ewing said.
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Part of the reason the migrants declined to be bused to a shelter: One unidentified person among them was denied entry.
“So everyone else, even though they are able and eligible for congregate shelter, declined to go in,” Ewing said.
The city said that person threatened an employee at a shelter and is no longer allowed there but can stay at any other homeless shelter. Still, some migrants chose to camp, which is banned in Denver.
“That was ratified by the voters,” Ewing said. “That was put to the ballot by the voters — there is a camping ban in effect in the city. We all have to abide by the rule of law.”
Denver neighbors helping migrants
Despite the circumstances, Joe Blake saw the chance to help and took a migrant family to buy groceries.
“I just feel like there are a lot of people in need and I’ve got an opportunity to do that, and I’m just thankful that I have an opportunity to do that,” Blake said.
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Among the people at this encampment was a family with three children. A city official at the scene on Thursday said they are looking into setting up an arrangement for that family.
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