The city of Denver has purchased bus, plane and train tickets for almost half of the more than 33,000 immigrants who have traveled to Colorado’s most populous city.

Early in the humanitarian crisis, city and state officials estimated 70% of the new arrivals did not intend to stay in Denver. This is also when officials decided to pay to transport immigrants to their desired final destination.

“I am incredibly proud of the way our city has stepped up to welcome newcomers and provide as many resources as possible to those searching for the American Dream,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said in a statement.

As of Dec. 15, officials had purchased about 14,000 tickets for the roughly 31,000 immigrants who had arrived in Denver over the past 12 months. That equates to tickets for about 45% of the immigrants who have come to The Mile High City.

Another 2,000 immigrants have since been welcomed to the city.

“We don’t have the exact figures on how many people are staying in Denver,” Jon Ewing, a Denver Human Services spokesperson, said in an email to The Denver Gazette.

Ewing added: “Some have certainly chosen to leave Denver after exiting shelter and they don’t need to tell us before doing so.”

But that doesn’t necessarily mean the other 55% are staying in Denver, Ewing said.

Denver Human Services has been managing the humanitarian response for the city since lifting the emergency declarations.

As of Friday, Denver has seen 33,325 new immigrant arrivals from South and Central America in the past year.

The response has been felt on multiple levels.

The cost has been immense, $35 million and counting. Despite federal and state grants, Denver taxpayers have assumed the bulk of the costs to feed, clothe and shelter arriving immigrants.

In an update marking one year since 90 immigrants were dropped off downtown at Union Station, Johnston said Denver Public Schools had enrolled about 3,100 immigrant students.

After a decade of declining enrollment, these newly enrolled boosted the district’s population by 1,100 students. In October 2022, the district had 82,558 students. This year the district had 83,701.

But because 900 students, mostly from Venezuela, enrolled after what’s called “the October count” — which is used to determine funding — the district is not expected to get funding for these pupils, a $14 million revenue loss.