Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The city of Denver has contingency funds to sustain migrant surges for only about two more months.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, a Democrat, said during a town hall last week that his city is being forced to cycle migrant families in and out of shelters due to immigration surges. Following a temporary pause to avoid migrants being forced out into colder conditions, the process reportedly began on Monday, as more than 120 migrant families were told to leave their dwellings—the first group of some 800 families in total who will be forced to find new refuge within the next two weeks.
Johnston, who said that every city and county hotel room is at capacity, recently gained attention by supporting Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his border battle against the Biden administration. Johnston said he sympathized with Abbott’s concerns and that he shouldn’t have to shoulder the load of an entire “newcomer population.”
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
“The city is currently in the process of drawing funds from our contingency reserves to meet the needs of the most recent surge in arrivals,” said Laura Swartz, spokesperson for the Denver Department of Finance, according to local reports. “This funding is anticipated to cover costs through April. All agencies have also been asked to identify potential savings within their 2024 budgets.
“It is too early right now to say what specific savings will be until we have had the time to assess and identify options. That work is underway now and will take several weeks to a few months to complete.”
Newsweek reached out to Swartz and the mayor’s office via email for comment.
As of Monday, a dashboard documenting migrants within city limits showed that 38,386 migrants have been served by the city—including 3,782 currently in shelters.
Denver has spent more than $40 million offering migrants the option of either accepting a spot in a shelter or taking tickets to be transferred to another location, according to Westword. Nearly half of them take the tickets.
The financial ramifications have reportedly led Johnston and city officials to determine how to curb such costs as projections show that Denver may ultimately spend up to $180 million, or about 10 percent of the city’s operating budget, this year. They are also set to receive $14.1 million from federal government reimbursements.
Denver’s migrant surge is the country’s biggest per capita, according to Johnston. In the coming days, he and Denver City Council will debate a potential $50 million in immigration funding, according to the Denver Gazette.
One facet of that is a $25 million cash transfer from the city’s general and capital improvement funds into the Border Crisis Special Revenue Fund, expected to be voted on at a February 12 meeting.
The other item to be debated and voted on relates to a $25 million master purchase order with Quebec Hospitality (Colorado Hospitality Services) to provide hotel rooms to temporarily house migrants.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The University of Denver will close the Ricks Center for Gifted Children next year as enrollment has fallen in recent years, the college announced this week.
The Ricks Center, which serves gifted children as young as 3 years old, will operate for the 2026-27 academic year before closing, according to a letter DU sent parents on Wednesday.
“The University of Denver has made the difficult decision to close the Ricks Center for Gifted Children at the conclusion of the 2026–2027 academic year,” spokesman Jon Stone said in a statement. “This decision reflects long-term operational and financial considerations and is not a reflection of the school’s quality, leadership, or community.”
The center, which is located on DU’s campus, was started in 1984 as the University Center for Gifted Young Children. The program offers classes to students in preschool through eighth grade, according to the website.
The program, along with other public K-12 schools in the state, has experienced declining enrollment in recent years. The center enrolled 142 students for the 2025-26 academic year, which is down from 200 pupils four years ago.
The center will hold a meeting about the pending closure on March 6 for parents.
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David Fountaine Black
OBITUARY
Dave and Martha and their three boys moved to Denver in 1974 when Dave started work at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal. He and a business partner later purchased Mid-America Plating Company. Dave operated Mid-America for 36 years and finally retired in 2018.
He was a great golfer and natural athlete. Dave was an avid runner, and for many years, he woke up before the sun to get his miles in before work. He and Martha loved playing bridge with friends, gardening – growing fruit and flowers – and spending time outside relaxing and walking on the High Line Canal Trail and in Bible Park. Dave and Martha enjoyed getting back to Arizona during the winter at their Tucson home. They loved spending time with their family.
Dave passed away on February 20, 2026. He is loved by family and friends and will be missed. Dave was a hard-working, kind, optimistic, and thoughtful person who leaves the world a better place. He is survived by his wife, Martha, and his three sons, Dave (Robin), Tom (Debbie), Eric (Kendra), as well as six grandchildren and three great grandchildren, Casey (Nicole), Jake (Ashleigh and great granddaughter Faye), Hailey (Robby and great granddaughter Jensen), Keenan (Nicole and great granddaughter Olivia), Griffin, and Addie (Erik).
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