- Support for the program humanized newcomers was provided in part by Rose Community Foundation and viewers like you.

- My name is John Ewing and I have been the comms lead on the migrant response since September of 2023.

I was a TV journalist for a long time.

I bounced around and I ended up as in a, you know, producer at Denver 7 for a long time and, you know, got through the pandemic, I was completely burned out.

Exhausted, I was looking for you know, something new, could not do news any longer.

Actually, around July I looked at the job, and I saw-- that seems like something I could do.

I could certainly handle the migrant response the day I started was the day that we started to see arrivals get to 100 people a day.

Today, as I talked to you, it's more than 41,000 people that have come through temporary, have been served by the city of Denver.

So it's been enormous, but it's been it's kind of hard to imagine, just wrapping your head around it and wrapping your head around the enormity of the response.

There was a huge, I think learning curve for people to understand what we were dealing with, how did we get here?

What is this?

What is going on in Venezuela?

What is going on in the Texas border?

What is happening here?

Kind of, you know what is Denver going to do about it?

Something you could do to help, before you do a lift, a finger is to just put yourself in someone's shoes for a moment.

I've heard stories of people who came here.

There's people who came here because their parents, were murdered by gangs and they fear for their children's lives.

Because they feared sexual violence, because they feared that they wouldn't make it tomorrow.

They couldn't feed their children.

It's dispiriting on a national scale.

Some of that has been pretty dispiriting, seeing some of the ways that byrons have been humanized, seeing that some of the way that you know the actions of a couple of people can be taken to represent, you know, 41,000 people that we've served.

Put yourself in their shoes if you're having those angry thoughts.

And then when you're there, when you think about that vulnerability, you think about that exposure, think about what can you do, you know, is it giving back?

Is it working with your church?

Is it maybe just being a little nicer than next time you see somebody squeezing a window?

Is it maybe just trying to be a little more empathetic every single day and thinking about why somebody would have done this, why somebody might be here and then try to see the whole picture at the end of the day, I believe, you know, if you're having those thoughts, why would they come here?

Why are they here?

You know, why are we doing all this?

And take a moment and think about your own children or your parents and think about what you would do for them.

We've helped house thousands of people, and I'm proud of that.

But it is much more than just just taking care of that first months rent, you know, or working with someone to take care that first month of rent, it is much more than that.

We have to keep people in housing, we have more people that we have to get into housing.

We have to make sure people are on the streets.

But I think if I have one goal, and I don't know how this is even quantifiable.

It would be that the families with the kids.

Yeah, I see kids all the time in their shelters that they don't remember any of this, that they don't think about this, you know, when they're 20 and 30 and they're, you know, they're 20 years old and, you know, in college and moving on with their lives that they don't remember any time in shelter, that this is a blip on their radar for them,and that we succeed in making this a short stressful period in their lives, and then we put them on the path to success.

They always tell you that you're not supposed to take your work home with you.

That's not an option here.

When somebody calls you on a Saturday and says we got 300 people in today, we got an open a shelter tomorrow, we got to make this happen.

You know, you don't turn that off.

There was a family with a dog.

And the family, we had the family in shelter, but for many reasons we don't allow animals in the shelter unless you know it's, you know, a special case and like federally mandated case and the allergies, everything else doesn't matter.

Anyways, we have this dog.

And this family was in shelter and this dog had been being taken care of by people in a homeless camp.

We were trying to get everybody, the homeless camp, to go into shelter.

What do you do with the dog?

And so we said, well, you have animal control, to come and and get the dog.

And they said they don't trust animal control.

You know, people from Venezuela do not trust government.

They would not give the dog up.

Like I don't know what to do with this dog.

They're like the dog maybe can stay in somebody's car and so and they said this reporters translation, she said they trust you.

And I said they trust me?

And they said, yeah, they said you helped him once.

And I said, I think I just cleared up a clerical error for them.

And they said no, but they trust you.

They said you helped them.

And I said I picked up my phone.

I called my girlfriend and I said, honey, I think we may be taking a dog for a little bit.

And so this dog was in my house for three weeks.

The family ended up crashing with someone in Chicago.

And then it was, what do you do with the dog?

And so I was like, well, we're driving the dog, I'm driving the dog to Chicago, right.

And so I'm driving the dog to Chicago.

And so that's what we did.

I've heard, like, why would you do that like that was you spent that much money.

You did all of that.

And it was like, what else was I going to do, you know, you see a problem in front of you.

And sometimes you look around and you go, who else is going to solve this?

And you're the only one standing there, we've all taken done that and people have taken on way more than a dog, right?

There's people who work in the city who give this day in and day out, and then they have families from Venezuela living in their own homes, because who else is going to do it?

There was no other solution.

So the idea that you don't take your work home with you is just impossible.

We realized after a year and a half of doing this that we can't help everyone, that we don't have the money and the resources to help everyone.

I don't think any city can.

I don't believe any city can.

But the way that Denver has stepped up has been incredible.

It's just been unbelievable.

One thing that I always get asked by the national media is they go, where are the protests?

You know who's protesting?

I said what protests and they're like, oh, no, in the other cities, you know, there are protests.

There are no protesters said there's no protest here.

The only people I hear from are are asking me, you know what more they can do.

I'll never forget when we had 5000 people in shelter in January we were staring it down.

We had to resume moment to stay.

We're trying to figure out how do we get 5000 people out of a shelter.

Most of them families with children into housing.

We were leaning on the nonprofits to make it happen, but we were scared.

I mean, I think we were all scared.

I was scared, you know, I was like, what if we don't pull this off?

You know, we had a good plan.

But what if you don't pull it off, right?

What if something gets in the way, what if the numbers pick up again?

What are we going to do with these families?

Not only did it work, but seeing those Facebook posts replaced by, I don't know where I'm going to go when I leave shelter to, I don't know how I'm going fill up the furniture in my new apartment.

It was the best worst.

You know, best problem to ever have and seeing all of the community members go.

I got a couch, I got chairs.

I'll be there on Saturday was just, Denver is a special place.

It's a wonderful place and I'm from Knoxville, Tennessee, and from a red state.

My family, I'm the only person to Vote Blue in my family.

They say, how's work?

It's good to see you.

But also when I talk to them, you knoww, I say, listen, we got families with children right here.

We got little kids.

We get we're not going to let those kids stay on the streets.

And my mother, you know, who raised me, I think right we don't agree politically on much.

Her thing is, yeah, you're not letting this kid stay on the streets.

You know, at the end of the day, we have to see each other as human beings.

I don't think that there's a blue or red issue there when it comes to protecting children.

We have to consider the issues and I think it's one thing that is universal looking at somebody and saying listen if this was your children, is there anything you wouldn't do for them?

And they say no, there isn't.

OK, well, that's all there is to this.

- My name is Ron Thomas and I'm diverse chief of police.

I grew up in Denver.

I was actually born in Arizona, but my parents brought me here when I was just an infant and so went to Denver Public Schools.

My mother worked for the Department of Social Services.

My father was a male care, so they're both public servants in their own right.

And I just, you know, being raised by two public servants, I always kind of that was bred in me to give back to my community.

My mother, who because of her relationship with the Department of Social Services, actually worked with a number of Denver police detectives in the Juvenile Bureau.

And so she found out about the cadet program and asked me to apply to the cadet program.

I think the benefit to her was that they paid for college, and so she would no longer have to pay for my college.

And so I applied.

And I became a Denver police cadet.

And our public safety cadet.

So I worked in various areas to at the Department of part of the program and involved riding in a police car with a different police officer for their shift and so literally the first time I got in a police car and with an officer and we went racing down Federal Boulevard to a call.

I was hooked and just, you know, thought that this is the place that I want to give back to my community and learn pretty quickly just how much of an impact that could have on people's lives, positive impact and so really just became addicted to that.

Now is the chief of police that, you know, I think that that gives me the greatest opportunity to impact the lives of people.

And so really that's just kind of been what has motivated me throughout my career.

So I think I have a pretty strong connection to, you know, communities all over the city.

I maintain my connection to officers by you know regularly attending roll calls and really, you know, answering questions and really you know, getting them the opportunity to know me and know that I still haven't, you know, fallen very far from my roots.

The toughest part of the job is maybe the recognition that you can't help everybody as much as you would like to.

You know, I think we really do get into this line of work in order to help people.

And sometimes they seem resistant to that help.

You have to kind of keep at it you.

Kind of keep connecting with them and eventually they will be in a place where they can accept the kind of help that's out there.

And so you have to do things because they are the right thing to do in the moment.

You know, we recognize the challenge with, say moving and encampment, whether it's an unhoused.

Encampment or a migrant encampment.

There are some public health or public safety challenges that make it prudent that we, you know, that we do something about that particular encampment.

So you know, focusing again on that being the right and best and safest thing to do in that moment, even though it doesn't necessarily feel right even though it-- you know we would prefer to move them into stable housing you know, but unfortunately there's not any available at that moment.

The mayor tells a story quite often I've actually adopted the story, because it resonates very well with me, talks about an old man and a young boy walking along the side of a river and a there's a scorpion that gets swept away by the water and scorpions drowning and the young boy reaches down and scoops it out of the water.

And it stings him.

And he recoils and pain the scorpion drops to the ground.

And pretty soon the water sweeps it away again and starts to drown, and boy for a second time, reaches down, scoops it out of the water and stings him again, and he drops it and third time the water comes and sweeps up the scorpion and he reaches down, getting ready to scoop it up a third time.

And the old man say, Son, don't you realize it's that in that scorpions nature to sting?

And I actually get kind of emotional and want to tell a story.

But the young boy says I do, but it's in my nature to help.

And I tell officers to remember that you know, remember that it is in your nature to help people.

And don't let the fact that sometimes it's in people's nature to sting to stop that.

Sometimes it's hard to drive by an encampment, whether it's a micro encampment or homeless encampment to see so many people that have needs and know that there are actually resources out there that are available to help.

But not being able to make that connection immediately.

There are opportunities where we reconnect people with families where we, you know, connect with people that have really fallen on hard times and maybe can't make their next meal.

And you know, I have officers that come out of their pocket all the time and provide meals sometimes provide birthday gifts.

I don't think it matters where they were born or what country they came from, whether they're an immigrant or a person that's unhouse.

I don't think it really matters.

I think that we want to give service to everybody.

Upholding, you know, the laws of the city is different than connecting community members are in need to various services.

But again it comes down to helping people.

And so, you know, I think that we're in a unique position where we know a lot of service providers, if we're going to be in the community, you know, in engaging and interacting with these individuals, you know, why not, you know, be part of that process that helps connect them to services, you know, very happy that the mayor has found pathways to house members of the migrant community and you know working on you know opportunities for them to work because I really believe that that's really what they came to this country for is for opportunity.

And to you know, to make a living and and raise families.

And I see that, I see that when I'm out in the community and I have those touch points with members of that community.

I'm really glad that the city has been very intentional about creating those opportunities.

This is a a community that needs service as well.

And so I think it's important that we know that as long as they're residents of this city that they have the same, you know, opportunities for safety and security and service than any other member of the Community has.

I've gone to a number of town halls with the mayor talking about the in-house issue, talking about the migrant issue.

And what is actually very heartening to me is that there are a lot of people in the room that want to help.

They just don't know necessarily what that looks like, and I think the mayor helps people understand that there's all kinds of ways to help.

You can donate things.

You can donate your time.

What greater way than to be part of that sort of welcoming committee to help welcome them to the community because you know I think that when folks feel welcomed in the community, they start to care about that community just as much as everybody else does.

There has not been an increase in crime in Denver as a result of all the migrants that are here now, we continue to see reductions in crime, even though more and more migrants come to our city every day.

I think the sheriff would say the same thing.

I think that as he sees, you know, folks coming to his care on a regular basis.

He's not seeing a rise in the number of folks that are coming into his care that are migrants.

I think there's a way that there could be bipartisan support for helping people that are in this country or people that are coming to this country survive and prosper and even, you know, assist with our economy.

And so I think that there is a way for both sides to win, not really politicize the issue and just realize that for reasons that we can't even control, they have recognized that this is a country where freedom is a premium.

And they come here for, you know, for various reasons, you know, to escape their political situations or their family situations.

I think both sides could come together and help those people you know live the American dream just the way that we all do.

- Alex Marrero, proud Superintendent, Denver Public Schools, finishing up our third year in this administration, everyone seems to think that my position is elected, but no, I'm a hired and hopefully not anytime soon fired employee.

I often say it's like a triad, my role so educator, politician and business person we have close to $1.5 billion that we're responsible for public funds, so it's dancing in those angles of that triangle.

I started my career in higher education, actually.

So I was a financial aid counselor, advisor at Manhattan College.

And how I became an educator, I think it was the most important, the mos impactful tragic time in my life when I was just getting into college.

I lost my mother, mother is from Dominican Republic.

My father is a refugee from Cuba and he was in and out of my life mostly out.

My brother, older in the military.

There I was by myself in the hoods of the Bronx in New York.

And then Mom passes and I'm looking to-- There's no one around, no family, so public assistance, whether it's Section 8, whether it's disability, whether it's welfare.

And all those doors were shut in my face as a youngster.

I the only thing that was Alice Branch was the professors at Fordham University, where I was a student.

They said no, we can't afford to lose you.

And loaded me up with loans, which was the only way that they can manage at the time.

So grateful for that.

But the only public entity that supported me during the most heart wrenching time in my life was education.

So Sergeant Higher Ed then went into K12, worked my way all the way up to principle, which is the most rewarding job.

This is such a large organization that the demands are ever persistent and perpetual.

If you allow it to be so, you have to really come out of the routine to see the impact and also to be informed, so I'm intentional in that regard aside from visiting schools.

We've opened up some community hubs, our Community hubs initiative was me trying to eradicate the disparity that exist outside of bell to bell instruction.

As educators, we do our best to make sure that when in the school building is safe, secure and that we have the best opportunity to learn.

But that's not enough in present day.

I have to lead an educational system you have to also come to terms with the realities of what happens or what doesn't happen outside the school.

This initiative happened before the influx of neuter country students, but the ones who are benefiting the most are our new to country families.

So when we see, when I visit our community hubs, I see not only the food and security being addressed.

So we have food bodegas in our community hubs, not just food banks, not to knock food banks, but what we have is what do you want a bonding experience?

What do you want?

You want pasta?

OK.

Here are the ingredients.

Here are the instructions.

Let's turn it into an activity for the family.

That's much different than here's you can.

We have some basic needs.

Whether it's clothing.

Winter clothes, shoes, book bags have at it.

Here's what we have for you all.

Now we can build home libraries because we have book vending machines, right?

And all languages, all levels.

So all we need is access.

Which we've provided, we've have 6, hopefully we can continue to expand.

So that's the best example of how I've seen, how we have supported our newer country students.

The other way that I've seen it is some heart wrenching letters that have been provided to me by our principals.

And when I say heart wrenching that's not an understatement.

That's a four page letter that I carry around with me.

One of our young scholars, elementary young lady, who saw death, rape and just horror in a nine month walk, saw a trek from Venezuela through Central America, through Mexico, barely to the southwest, to settle into our system.

So if that's not a sign that we have to do better for all, but make sure that folks feel safe, secure and call this home.

Well I don't know what else is assigned.

We convened all superintendents tally if you will, of our all new the country students that we have all received since the Magic October count.

When is when we receive our founding, in our case, close to 3000 students total, significant amount of money, but smaller districts, you know, a handful of students are significant when notes when you don't have the luxuries of being so large, and we can, you know, just provide some more resources in different ways.

So when we compiled all these new to country students, then we were the ones who started the initiative and lobbying and you know respectfully saying to the state and Governor Polis, here's what we're doing, highlighting the great work out of all this out of McLean out of Place Bridge.

So it's not saying that we're failing these students, we're doing incredible, but it comes at a cost, right?

It comes at a cost and emotional or physical and the funding formula says that we're supposed to get some more.

So through our advocacy, we were able to get some funding for not just Denver Public Schools, all districts across the state.

Hopefully we can continue to use our leverage for a greater good and that's an incredible example and we're continuing.

Most recently we leveraged a little bit of our muscle when it comes to the School Finance Act.

That's in the eyes of some can be controversial.

To me it's crystal clear for districts who are serving at risk students and however we wanted to find at risk, the way we see it is new to country students, English language learners, students with special needs, students living in poverty.

The research is crystal clear.

That the lift is much more significant when you're serving those students.

But yet historically, here in Colorado, we haven't been funding our schools that have at risk populations.

Instead, we've been looking at property values.

So that's another way that we leverage and hopefully to those educators who again are having the greater lift.

And at the same time, we have an accountability measure that is merciless in certain cases.

It's just an unfair game that we're playing when it comes to public education, we're going to continue doing what's right for our students, without a doubt.

But if we can also, you know, influence or change policy and create an equitable funding system.

And even when it comes to an evaluation system and that's a huge victory not just for DPS, for the entire state.

Life circumstances forced me to take the bull by the horns or else it was survival of the fittest, right?

And ultimately education saved my life.

So when it comes to our new country and our migrant students, who's going to advocate for them?

Because when I was in that position, the public system did not.

This is where education is the saving grace, right?

Keeping the politics and the polarizing positions out of it.

You can get into the whole shelter, housing, access, work authorization.

I know in certain cases that's seen as incredibly controversial, but something that's foundational, and fundamental as a right is free and appropriate education.

Our little scholar who shared in writing a beautifully written in Spanish letter of the horror that she saw.

So how can I not be the person to make sure that this is her sanctuary?

I have to, if not me who?

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