Refugees fleeing oppression arrive in Colorado by busloads. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis ships most of them out, leading to headlines that compare him to the Republican governors of Florida and Texas — each of whom buses immigrants here illegally to other states.

New York Mayor Eric Adams complained this week that his city cannot handle immigrants sent from Colorado or other states.

“I’m not going to sit back and allow New Yorkers to carry the burden of a man-made crisis,” Adams said during a news conference Wednesday. “This must be fixed. This has to be fixed. … We have to find ways of carrying out this task without bankrupting this city.”

Adams accused Polis, a fellow Democrat, of shipping immigrants to his city without warning. Polis disputed that charge to a member of The Gazette’s editorial board on Thursday.

“Denver did notify them,” Polis said of New York. “They were aware.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis began shipping illegal immigrants to other states last year, leading critics to voice a consistent message. Adams, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and a host of other left-leaning politicians and celebrities have called the practice “cruel.”

Busing immigrants does them a favor. Texas border cities of Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, El Paso and others are saturated with asylum-seekers and other immigrants. Their food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other public and private social services are maxed out. Moving immigrants to wealthier communities that can help them seems like a kind and rational move.

Indeed, DeSantis made a political message of immigrants he sent to Martha’s Vineyard. Though crass, the message is profound: Immigrants need help from those who have the most, not just those who have the least.

The latest federal census found nearly half the homes in Martha’s Vineyard are seasonal, second-home residences sitting empty most of the year. The median home value is $1.325 million. Average Brownsville homes cost less than $200,000 and house families all year long.

By any measure, Martha’s Vineyard, New York, Chicago and Denver make most border towns look impoverished. To whom much is given, much is expected and Polis — a phenomenally successful businessman — agrees.

Most of the refugees arriving in Denver are from Latin American countries destroyed by bad governance — most notably the Venezuelan dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro.

“It’s a brutal, socialist dictatorship,” Polis said, explaining how Maduro abuses people and deprives them of civil rights and human dignity. Criticize Maduro, get locked up.

A flourishing economic powerhouse throughout much of the 20th century, Venezuela drifted into socialism in the late 1990s. It became a place of starvation, human rights atrocities and crippling inflation.

“It should be one of the wealthiest countries in the world,” Polis told The Gazette. “Instead, government mismanagement has destroyed it. There are water shortages and food shortages. Every day it is a new and different struggle to survive. People are dying of hunger.”

Socialism has similarly undermined Guatemala and Nicaragua, from which refugees also flee for wealthy U.S. cities. Polis insists the refugees are welcome in his state. All are surveyed upon arrival.

A paper form asks whether they wish to remain in Colorado or go somewhere else. All are advised they might have fewer options for shelter and services in other cities and leave Denver at their own risk.

“About 70% want a destination other than Denver, and we are just a point in their journeys,” Polis said. “It is a $90 trip from El Paso to Denver, which puts them in a major transportation hub. Their most popular destinations are Chicago, New York, Atlanta and Miami — places where they know someone. We are trying in the most humane way possible to get them where they want to go.”

Polis insists he has no interest in shipping refugees out if they wish to remain here. Among Venezuelan immigrants, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel, nearly 58% have college degrees. That compares with about 33% of Americans.

“They are ready to work, excited to work and have the skills to work,” Polis told The Gazette. “That’s why they escaped Venezuela, where they have no opportunity. … We have two job openings for every unemployed person in Colorado. We should not send them back to a socialist dictator when we can help them, and they can help us.”

We have seen this with Cuban refugees over generations. People who escape authoritarianism want to work, better themselves and improve the lives of those around them. We can render them dependent or help them pursue excellence.

Polis hopes the Legislature will allocate funds to help settle those who remain in Colorado. Yet, he said Congress and President Joe Biden bear the most responsibility for making immigration an asset. He recently spoke with White House officials to tell them what he wants.

“First, border security is absolutely critical,” Polis said. “Second, the people who are here need temporary protective status that allows them to work while they seek asylum status, which can take more than a year. Third, let’s figure out how the federal government can help cities and states that are hosting them.”

Oppressed refugees have made this country great. Victims of anti-capitalist regimes are coming to our state in droves, for better or worse. If we treat them as burdens, burdens they may be. If we offer a hand up — treating them with dignity, not a free ride — they could soon become productive, taxpaying neighbors and friends. Given this circumstance, that’s what we want.

The Gazette Editorial Board