Denver considered reducing hours for city staff, hiring illegal immigrants: Report

A new report suggests that the City of Denver recently considered hiring illegal immigrants to save on the costs associated with social services.

According to the Daily Wire, the city had considered hiring some of the 40,000 illegal immigrants who have arrived there in the last year, mostly from Venezuela. The motive behind the plan was to save on the cost of social services since those in the country illegally are often unable to find employment and thus become a drain on taxpayers. A spokesperson for the city told the outlet that a full-time salary working for the city was "not necessarily" more expensive than caring for basic needs, ostensibly such as food and shelter.

The spokesperson informed the Daily Wire, however, that the city was not currently pursuing the idea farther since it is likely against the law.

This news comes on the heels of a report from Marc Sallinger, journalist with 9 News Denver, that indicates that the city may reduce the hours of some city employees — including "coaches, lifeguards, front desk staff" — "to zero" to help offset the cost of the "migrant crisis."

"But don't call them layoffs ..." Sallinger joked on X.

The city already announced earlier this month that it would eliminate or reduce some public services to help address the budget shortfall caused by the migrants. There will be no flower beds planted this spring, Democrat Mayor Mike Johnston said, and the Division of Motor Vehicle offices in Denver will close for a week on a rotating basis, preventing people from registering a vehicle in person.

These and other cuts will save just "one-fortieth of what the influx of newcomers will cost the city," the Colorado Sun reported.

Lest any citizens or legal residents become frustrated that their costs have gone up while their job security and public services have gone down, the mayor issued a stern warning not to blame the illegal immigrants. "I want it to be clear to Denverites who is not responsible for this crisis that we’re in: The folks who have walked 3,000 miles to get to this city," Johnson said in a public address.

Instead, he blamed the federal government for the lack of funding. "You’ve done your part," he told Denver residents. "The city will do our part. The federal government did not do their part."

Illegal immigrants are just one group creating a budget and safety crisis in Denver. The homeless population has likewise exploded in the last year to nearly 9,000 people, many of whom live on the streets. "We have to clean up vomit and urine and syringes and used condoms and feces. We didn't cause the homeless problem in Denver, but we have clean up after it," local businessman Jon Caldara said last September, as Blaze News previously reported.

"This is a not an affordable housing crisis. This is a drug crisis, this is a mental health crisis, and this is a crisis of law. That these people who need help will never get help if they are not brought to jail where they are forced to get some help."

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