DENVER — On Sept. 22, a group of migrants from Venezuela found themselves at the doorstep of the American Red Cross office in Denver, before the building was open.
According to a spokesperson for the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming, help arrived when they were made aware. They contacted local emergency management and other partners to provide support.
"Our goal is to prevent and mitigate additional humanitarian consequences that migration can bring — including the potential for separation and loss of contact with family, disappearances, detention and medical issues," the spokesperson said in a statement.
The group was housed by Casa De Paz, a nonprofit out of Aurora, for a few days.
"They came under the impression that somebody was going to help them in Denver and that there was going to be all these resources for them," said Andrea Loya, the Executive Director of Casa De Paz.
Normally, Casa De Paz is an organization that would welcome, and then provide a space for, those released from the ICE Detention Center in Aurora, while they make travel plans.
When approached to help house the group for a few days, Loya's group took the opportunity.
"I'm an immigrant myself," she said. "And so I think within our community of immigrants, I connect with them in that they just want a better life, a lot of different opportunities that they can't get in their same country. They want to work and they want to provide for themselves in ways that their country doesn't allow them to."
Eventually, another group was able to help get the group of migrants into an apartment to stay.
It's unclear who directed the group of migrants toward Denver. In recent weeks, migrants have been bused to cities across the country -- notably New York and Chicago -- some as part of political stunts by critics of the Biden administration.
While the city and county of Denver is not aware of any large-scale coordinated transports making their way to Denver, a spokesperson confirmed Wednesday that they are coordinating preparations, should the need arise.
As of last week, the Denver Office of Emergency Management delivered nearly 100 cots, 230 cot covers, 200 blankets, 200 hygiene kits, two cell phones and six computers to local nonprofit partners to set up a 72-hour shelter, according to the spokesperson.
"The shelter will be positioned to receive migrant busses while our non-profit partners work on helping folks find more long term options," the spokesperson said in a statement. "The shelter site is being set up and we anticipate that it will be up and running within the coming week."
For security reasons, the site's location has not been disclosed.
Loya believes many agencies like hers are able to answer the call, but it puts some organizations in a tough position.
"We are happy to help. But it definitely puts us in a tricky spot because, you know, there's funding, there's that piece. You can only say yes to so many people before you exhaust all of your own resources. And so it puts us in a tricky spot as to what our boundaries are," she said. "I think this is a time where we all show up. We all show up for our communities..."
Ron Buzard, managing director of another local group, African Community Center, told 9NEWS that there have been a total of five Venezuelans who came to them seeking services in recent weeks.
Buzard could not confirm if the group is the same as those who arrived at the Red Cross. They're also not sure how they arrived in Denver. Buzard said they are not eligible for the publicly funded programs the organization administers until they receive asylum status, and that they're also awaiting guidance from the Office of Refugee Resettlement.
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