DENVER — Outside a Denver shelter Friday, whose location is being kept secret for safety’s sake, migrant children in sweats and borrowed gloves pelted one another with snowballs. Just hours into a cold place called Colorado they figured out how to build a snowman and decorated its head with a frozen autumn leaf.
The busload of youths and their families arrived in Denver at 8 a.m. Friday after a 12-hour drive from El Paso, Texas' crowded Annunciation House shelter. They carried small plastic bags with all their possessions.
>Video above: Denver working with nonprofit partners to set up shelter in case of influx of migrants
These migrants seeking asylum crossed the Mexican-American border, turned themselves into the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The families are from Central and South American countries and most have relatives or friends in places like Burbank, California; Trenton, New Jersey and Miami waiting to sponsor them. For those migrants, Denver is a weekend transition point.
On the wood floor of an old gym converted into temporary sleeping and eating quarters, two-year old Mateo played with a plastic truck he found in a box.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER for top stories from 9NEWS curated daily just for you. Get content and information right now for can’t-miss stories, Next and Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9NEWS" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.