Colorado Springs publishes migrant response plan

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — It has been nearly one month since El Paso County Commissioners claimed a bus carrying migrants came to Colorado Springs. On Monday, Feb. 26, the Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management (PPROEM) unveiled its migrant response plan for the city of Colorado Springs, should more migrants arrive.

El Paso County Commissioners continue to claim the Pikes Peak Region will not be a sanctuary for migrants. Mayor Yemi Mobolade echoes that sentiment but said it does not mean Colorado Springs can’t prepare.

“We’re not currently in a crisis situation regarding any kind of influx of migrants, but we must be prepared,” Mayor Mobolade said.

First migrant bus arrives in El Paso County

The PPROEM reports Colorado Springs is not coordinating the arrival of migrants with Denver or any other state agency. However, as migrants disperse from Denver due to its time limits on sheltering, there is a possibility that a slight increase in migrants arriving independently might occur.

“Migrant families are coming from Denver independently in small numbers, we know that’s happening,” explained Andrew Notbohm, Regional Emergency Management and Recovery Director. “We’re all seeking to understand what’s going on in our communities as we’re having movement of migrants throughout the state of Colorado.”

The emergency management team is constructing its plan from lessons learned in Denver. The average cost for sheltering a person is $750 per person per week.

Officials said on Monday there is a group at Denver’s migrant processing center who sends migrants to other areas, in what’s referred to as a final destination.

“They’re not chartering busses, but they’re buying individual tickets for folks and that is part of some of this organic movement we’ve seen down in the Colorado Springs,” Notbohm said.

The PPROEM said Denver has found that it is cheaper to send people to a final destination than to a shelter. Something one Colorado Springs Council Member wants the city to consider.

“Perhaps that should be our policy as a city… if illegal immigrants come here and we are aware of it, that we move them on to a sanctuary city,” said Councilman Dave Donelson, Colorado Springs District 1.

Councilwoman Nancy Henjum representing Colorado Springs District 5 asked, “Do we have the legal authority to say to somebody who chooses to come to Colorado Springs, sorry, you can’t be here, you’ve got to go somewhere else?”

The Colorado Springs City Attorney’s office told council members that the city can’t forcibly remove someone, you could only offer them a bus ticket if they wanted to go somewhere else.

“We’ve all said we’re not a sanctuary city, we don’t intend to be, and we do not want to spend our city resources on this issue because we can’t,” said Randy Helms, Colorado Springs City Council President, representing District 2.

The mayor’s office has had discussions about what Colorado Springs’ response would be, should a migrant crisis arrive. City staff say it’s not until the time of emergency that a scenario such as attempting to relocate migrants would be decided through policy changes.

PPROEM Update for Colorado Springs City Council.Download

The city’s migrant response framework includes a policy direction group headed by Mayor Mobolade and a coordination group to assess and support local nonprofit partners. The framework also details possible decision points for when the city may be compelled to act in the interest of public safety.

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