Denver Asylum Seeker Program (DASP) Destined for Failure – Because It Doesn’t Exist

Denver Asylum Seeker Program (DASP) Destined for Failure – Because It Doesn’t Exist

Press release for April 29, 2024

On April 10th, Mayor Mike Johnston announced a new migrant plan that would supposedly offer 1000 asylum seekers that are currently sheltered in Denver the opportunity to receive 6 months of employment, housing, and legal support. Since then, the number has not only reduced to 800 people (made up of a meager 175 families and some singles, as stated by Sarah Plastino, head of the Newcomer Program with Denver Human Services), but they have also revealed impossible requirements that barr most people from ever qualifying – especially those most in need of such support. 

Migrants reached out to HAND to reveal the automatic reply that they received from a worker named Karen with Vive Wellness upon inquiring about the available resources. Below are screenshots of the message, accompanied by English translation:

English translation:

Hello I am Karen. If you have already contacted Rocio or Carmelita, please continue your case with them because later your case will be delayed. If not then I sent you the following information. Please read everything. I will do my best to answer you that same day, with the increase in calls and messages it may take time. And only call me from one phone number, don’t call me from others because that delays cases. The Requirements are as follows

1. Which shelter and room are they in?

2. Name and ages of everyone

3. Job [verification] letter

4. [Shelter] eviction letter

5. ID cards

6. Lease contract signed by everyone

If you already have 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, send them to me to verify them and after verifying we continue with the next step, which is the rental contract process. And when we are at that step I will call you to explain the process. If you have any other questions please ask and I will answer you as soon as possible. And the aid is only with a part of the deposit and one month.

This was echoed by several internal messages that showed that those who didn’t have all 5 qualifying factors were left without support. For further context regarding the recipients of this particular screenshot, this family that just arrived in Denver a few days ago – which included a 1 year and 11 month old baby boy – sent the information regarding names, ages, and current place of shelter to reveal that they would not qualify for support and there was no help available for them because, despite being asylum seekers and the program not yet having reached 1000 qualifiers, they only received 3 days of shelter and wouldn’t receive the required “eviction letter” from the shelter.

Aside from this supposed qualifier, it is made clear in the message that receiving employment and housing support is dependent on already having employment, as demonstrated with an employment verification letter, and housing, as demonstrated by a signed lease. If these applicants already have these qualifying qualities, why would they then need support with acquiring what they already have?!  

Not only are these the requirements, but this message also reveals that surmounting such unreasonable requirements will result in only receiving ONE month of rental support – as opposed to the SIX months of support described by Mayor Mike Johnston.

In fact, this is supported by multiple accounts of migrants revealing that when they did qualify for the program, they only received one month of support… Until now, it was thought that these individuals were being discriminated against by not receiving the full six months of support… In fact, out of the numerous families communicating with HAND and other migrant organizations, not a single family or individual has received this supposed six months of support. Furthermore, multiple migrant shelter employees have never heard of this opportunity being offered, and some higher-ups echo this idea… Leading us to believe that there is no funding to support six months of employment or housing support for anyone. 

Until we have heard of a family successfully qualifying for the full support outlined by the Mayor and the City of Denver, there is no evidence to suggest that this plan was ever ready to implement. In the meantime, individuals and families are being constantly kicked out from shelter without any options offered aside from a ticket out of town.

This being said – even the THREE DAYS of shelter stay for new migrants has been reduced to ZERO in many situations… Refusing those fleeing political violence from even the most basic, minimum, nearly nothing service the City has decided new migrants are worth. This sign at Denver Human Services has absolutely no mention of 3 days of sheltering described by the Mayor, and in fact, HAND found out that families were being told upon arrival that Denver had no shelter whatsoever to offer them – that is, until, advocates intervened and fought for them to receive this. The sign displayed at DHS is pictured below, accompanied by English translation:

English translation:

Information for migrants arriving in Denver

• Denver no longer offers hotel shelter for new arrivals
• All new arrivals will be offered travel to another city of their choice.
• Camping is illegal in Denver. You will not be allowed to set up tents inside the city
• Start planning now. Our staff can help you reach a destination that may have more resources or where you have existing connections.

When the City’s lead in communications regarding migrant shelters Jon Ewing – a self-described marketing and sales expert with zero shelter experience – shared numbers regarding newcomers who arrived since the Mayor’s new plan was implemented, he suggested that, out of 350 new arrivals, 315 had “chosen” to “accept” travel to other cities. Based on the reports HAND has received, this supposed “choice” does not exist when Human Services outright tells newcomers that they do not qualify for any shelter stay or other resources, period, and that their ONLY option is a ticket out of town.

Additionally, newcomers are being pressed by Human Services in a rather inhumane way to try to convince them that remaining in Denver would be dangerous for them. Despite one migrant family repeatedly reiterating that they came to Denver intentionally after hearing about the climate and opportunities from a dear friend, this family kept receiving push back that Denver had nothing to offer them. Then, the family was split and separated between shelters – again, only after advocates intervened to ensure they’d receive the minimal three days of shelter. Their ongoing experience at the shelter was that staff continued to intimidate and tell them they needed to be actively thinking of somewhere to go because they would only find misery if they stayed.

All of these events – alongside accounts from people who work for the City/these programs at all levels – demonstrate how the Mayor has outright lied about the opportunities being offered to migrants. The DASP program is non-funded, non-existent, and ineffective. The offensive, bare-minimum, sheltering of three days is also non-existent… Unless you happen to know someone who can navigate the system to access it for you.

As migrants, advocates, shelter staff, and affiliated program partners alike, we are jointly demanding that the Mayor own up to his blatant and damaging lies regarding migrant support and offer an actual solution for people who are desperate for chances to work and opportunities to build a life for themselves and their families.