Douglas County, Colorado, Commissioner George Teal said he enacted a new ordinance aimed at deterring bus companies from dropping off migrants within its borders in a Thursday interview with “Fox & Friends.”
Douglas County, with its significant Republican base, has rejected the unregulated entry of migrants through this ordinance, as Teal explained on “Fox & Friends.” Under the new ordinance, buses found offloading passengers at unplanned locations will face hefty fines of up to $1,000 per passenger, and the risk of seizure by local authorities, according to Fox News.
“No more freeloading,” Teal told “Fox & Friends.” “We thought this ordinance was required to make sure that we can keep our community safe.”
Colorado community threatens to fine, seize buses that drop off illegal immigrants: ‘No more freeloading’ https://t.co/MH1PTIb2zt
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 4, 2024
This ordinance joins a wider push by Colorado communities to avoid sharing the same fate as Denver’s sanctuary city status, now struggling under a migrant surge, according to Fox News. Teal attributes Denver’s early sanctuary city label and its financial woes to a backlash against Donald Trump‘s immigration stance.
“Denver got on the bandwagon of the anti-Trump fad of declaring a sanctuary city early, among Democrat cities across the nation,” Teal said, Fox News reported. “We’re not a Democrat county. We’re a community that is mostly Republican. We were never going to be a sanctuary county.”
Democratic Denver Mayor Mike Johnston previously closed four migrant shelters and redirected nearly $60 million to city services, promising that migrants would still have shelter in February, Fox News stated. Douglas County is situated near Denver, and the new ordinance is the county’s preemptive measure to safeguard its community. (RELATED: ‘We Should All Feel Heartbroken’: Dem Mayor Fumes At Congress After Border Security Bill Dies)
“We know that it’s just a matter of time before Denver starts diverting buses here into Douglas County. We’re to the south of Denver — right between Denver and Colorado Springs. And that’s why we did this ordinance, so that, when that happens, we’re prepared,” Teal continued, according to Fox News.