Denver has spent roughly $5 million responding to the humanitarian crisis that began after an influx of Venezuelan refugees arrived in the Mile High City in the dead of winter.

Their arrival — and Colorado’s response, including the financial strain it placed on Denver — were the subjects of a virtual town hall with immigration rights activists and experts hosted by The Denver Gazette and Colorado Politics.

A tale of two Venezuelan families seeking refuge in Denver and a shot at the American dream

The panelists delved into a variety of topics, including the asylum process, whether Denver is a sanctuary city and the economic impact of feeding and sheltering 4,200 immigrants during the one-hour discussion.

To date, more than 4,000 immigrants have come to Denver, compelling Mayor Michael B. Hancock to declare an emergency on Dec. 15 after the unfolding border crisis had brought his city near its breaking point.

Immigration has long been a thorny issue for the United States, which has grappled unsuccessfully for decades with the need for border security and a cheap labor pool.

Wars, economic instability and escalating violence are some of the reasons why they are coming, said Violeta Chapin, a University of Colorado Law professor in Boulder who teaches criminal and immigration law.

“We’re seeing numbers of people showing up attempting to flee these dangerous conditions and looking for safety and refuge here in the U.S.,” Chapin said during the Colorado Conversations panel.

Laura Lunn, director of advocacy and litigation for the Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN), agreed.

“I think it’s important to remember that the United States is a country of immigrants,” Lunn said. “We all have come here at different times.”

What’s changed since the heyday of Ellis Island — once the nation’s busiest immigrant processing station — is the process, which Lunn and Chapin described as arduous and complex.

This is compounded by the fact so few have access to legal counsel, they said. 

Denver nears 'breaking point' trying to deal with influx of immigrants

An estimated 70% of those in immigration proceedings do not have an attorney, Lunn said, adding individuals with a lawyer are 10 times more likely to win their immigration case.

RMIAN offers free immigration legal services to immigrants in detention.

Immigrants who lack authorization to stay in the U.S. represent about 3.4% of the Colorado’s population, according to the Pew Research Center in Washington D.C. 

The vast majority of immigrants in Colorado are in the state lawfully.

More than 100,000 residents in the city and county of Denver identify as immigrant or refugee, said Atim Otii, director of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Office for Human Rights & Community Partnerships.

With immigrants and refugees accounting for roughly 15% of the county’s population, Otii said it is important from the city’s perspective to be a “welcoming community.”

While the majority of arriving immigrants intend to make Denver a stopover to somewhere else, about 30% are expected to stay, officials have said. The city’s goal, Otti said, is to help those who want to make Denver their home have as smooth a transition as possible.

“We are really striving to make sure the integration is a holistic approach,” Otti said.

The city’s response to the crisis could not have happened, Otti said, without the partners and religious groups that have stepped up to fill in the gap.

To date, the estimated cost to the city is $5.2 million, Otti said.

Tuesday’s town hall is part of the ongoing Colorado Conversations series, which has tackled a variety of topics, including the state’s affordable housing problem to rising crime rates.

In addition to these panelists, The Denver Gazette also invited representatives from law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who declined to participate.