The city of Aurora, Colorado, is rejecting taking in migrants from nearby Denver as the Mile High City struggles to provide services to the mass influx of illegal immigrants from the southern border.
Last week, the Aurora City Council passed a resolution stating it has no intention of assisting migrants and other homeless individuals transported to their community from nearby municipalities.
"It's been pretty tense here, we're feeling it," city council member Danielle Jurinsky, a sponsor of the resolution, told "America's Newsroom" Monday.
"We will not be aiding into this migrant crisis."
WHICH CITIES, COUNTIES AND STATES IN THE US ARE ‘SANCTUARY’ JURISDICTIONS?
The resolution passed 7-3 on Feb. 26 as residents spoke out on both sides of the issue during the city council meeting, with the majority urging the body to reject the measure, The Denver Post reported.
"This is my home. This is my safety. You need to take a reference of it," said an Air Force veteran in support of the resolution.
The resolution, which includes a call to secure the southern border, states: "The City Council affirms remaining a Non-Sanctuary City and asserts the City does not currently have the financial capacity to fund new services related to this crisis and demands that other municipalities and entities do not systematically transport migrants or people experiencing homelessness to the City."
Jurinksy said the point of the resolution was to "make a very strong statement that Aurora is not a sanctuary city. That resolution was actually passed in 2017, so the resolution I brought forward just doubled down on that."
"This is a resolution, not an ordinance, so it's not a law," she explained.
"But we are making the statement that if they are caught doing it, which they were caught red-handed the first time, if they are caught doing it, they had either better send the funding and have a plan for these individuals, or a council person like myself will be extremely vocal and all over the media letting everybody know what Denver is doing."
In February, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston started making budget cuts to city departments to offset the costs of migrant services, announcing reduced hours at recreation centers and rolling closures of Denver Motor Vehicle offices as part of $5 million in reductions.
"The people of Aurora need to know where their city council stands… we will not be shutting down services," Jurinsky responded.
Jurinsky also called out the federal government for putting a strain on communities around the country.
"This is absolutely a crisis. And to think that this isn't a complete failure at the federal level, and to think that this is going to be put on your local city council to solve the migrant crisis, makes no sense," she said.
"Enough is enough, Joe Biden, step up."
The decision by Aurora comes after the town of Monument voted 7-0 to affirm its status as a non-sanctuary city amid growing fears that migrants could soon flood the area from nearby Denver.
