In an op-ed published in the Colorado Springs Gazette, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman accused Denver Mayor Mike Johnston of not being truthful about how migrants, including Venezuelan gang members, ended up in Aurora.

Coffman said he filed an open records request that shows Johnston used the cover of non-profits to quietly dump migrants in other cities.

Johnston denied the allegations, stating,  “The City of Denver never places anyone anywhere.” 

Johnston said he was blindsided by the op-ed that included a headline claiming, “Denver’s Mayor offloads immigrants on Aurora.”

“I’m surprised by this because Mayor Coffman and I have a collaborative relationship,” Johnston said. 

According to Johnston, Denver contracted with two non-profits to find housing for migrants after more than 40 thousand of them were bussed here from Texas last year.

“We give them dollars and they decide on housing,” Johnston said. “Every day it’s looking for where that housing is and identifying what open unit it is. You might go to Thornton, you might go to Northglenn, you might go to Denver.”  

Mayor Coffman said one of the non-profits worked with a landlord to place migrants in three apartment buildings in Aurora, where police say Venezuelan gang members terrorized residents. The incidents there drew the attention of President-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to carry out mass deportations, or what he calls “Project Aurora”. 

Coffman said Johnston has refused to say how many migrants were placed in Aurora, so he filed an open records request to obtain the contract the city signed with the nonprofit. He said the contract included a clause allowing the agency to put migrants in other cities without notifying them.

In his op-ed, Coffman said, “Aurora has suffered from a national embarrassment that has harmed the image of our city in a way that could have lasting economic consequences. As the Mayor of Aurora, I’m asking that Mayor Mike Johnston be transparent and tell the truth about what he did.”

Johnston said he bears no responsibility for what’s happened in Aurora, “We run the City of Denver and he runs Aurora and they control the outcomes in their city. We control the outcomes in ours. We’re responsible to our voters and he’s responsible to his.”  

Coffman said the nonprofit is required to report to city officials how many migrants are placed in other cities, but he says Johnston continues to dodge the question about how many migrants were sent to Aurora.

President-elect Trump takes office Jan. 20th. His Border Czar has said he will prioritize the deportation of migrants who’ve committed crimes.

In November, Johnston told the Denverite he would resist all deportations. He now says he will cooperate with federal immigration agents in deporting violent criminals.