February 01, 2024 04:20 PM UTC

Doing What Jesus Would Do In Colorado Springs

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• by: Colorado Pols

There’s been relatively little coverage in Denver media, but in Colorado Springs there’s panic brewing after a busload of migrants arrived in the city this weekend, prompting an alarmed response from Republican El Paso County Commissioners who vow that Colorado Springs will not “roll out the welcome mat” like the so-called “sanctuary city” of Denver. KRDO-TV reports:

Wednesday, El Paso County officials discussed plans in the case of a potential influx of migrants into the area.

El Paso County Commissioners said in a press conference that Colorado Springs and El Paso County will not provide sanctuary of any kind to migrants. Those officials said a bus of dozens of migrants came to Colorado Springs on Sunday and is being helped by an area nonprofit, but the commissioners are now urging all nonprofits to stop providing aid. [Pols emphasis]

KOAA NEWS5:

County Commissioner Cami Bremer said El Paso County will not be designated as a sanctuary county for migrants. She said sanctuary cities, like Denver, are seeing a strain on local resources, like homeless shelters and law enforcement. Bremer said there is simply not enough money in the county to support incoming migrants and does not want to spread a message that “our laws don’t matter.”

“We’re saying we don’t want that here in El Paso County and we have the ability to say no. That we’re going to handle it differently,” she said.

Commissioners also called on the federal government to take action to secure the border. They said part of the issue is that the county has no authority to deport anyone. County Commissioner Carrie Geitner called on local nonprofits to not extend resources to migrants if they come to them for help… [Pols emphasis]

There’s no question that cities like Denver who have been targeted by the government of Texas for migrant dumping are facing a serious challenge providing for the essential needs of thousands of people who aren’t allowed to work along with the existing burden on local governments to provide for residents facing homelessness and food insecurity. But to flat-out tell nonprofits in El Paso County to refuse requests for assistance from these migrants is cruelty we don’t think even most conservatives, especially religious conservatives allegedly taught in Sunday school not to “mistreat or oppress a foreigner,” would be able to stomach. It’s an ugly enough implication that Colorado Springs’ mayor (and Nigerian immigrant) Yemi Mobolade is trying to walk it back:

The mayor’s deputy chief of staff, Ryan Trujillo, says for now they are monitoring the situation and preparing in case local nonprofits are over capacity.

“There has been some news out there that we have told the nonprofit community to turn the migrants away,” Trujillo said. “That is absolutely not true. We want to work with a nonprofit community make sure they supported and they have capacity.”

As you can see, there’s a marked difference between what Yemi Mobolade’s city government and the all-GOP El Paso County Commissioners are telling the public about this situation. While the commissioners did issue a call for the federal government to “work toward reform,” none addressed the fact that fellow Republicans led by Donald Trump are the ones blocking bipartisan immigration reform in order to use the issue as a political weapon in the upcoming elections.

Before they tell local nonprofits not to help people in need, El Paso County politicos need to ask their fellow Republicans in Washington why they’re not helping either. Otherwise they’re just passing the cruelty on.