The influx of immigrations to Colorado – and state and city officials’ response – expectedly turned political, with the chair of state of the Republican Party accusing Gov. Jared Polis of hypocrisy and the latter quipping back that the Republican leader doesn’t understand what Coloradans want from their leaders.

GOP chair Kristi Burton Brown called Polis’ actions of sending the immigrants to other states dishonest. 

“He is … giving the impression that illegal immigrants would be welcome in Colorado, but now, when he has to actually pay for them and help them and give humanitarian aid, he would rather make New York deal with that,” Burton Brown told The Denver Gazette on Friday.

As for the governor’s declaration that he’s only helping immigrants get to their destination, Brown said: “He’s spinning it however it’s gonna make him look good.”

The governor’s office, in response, called Burton Brown “silly.” 

“It’s silly for someone who just lost every state-wide election to somehow believe they understand what Coloradans want from their leaders,” gubernatorial spokesperson Conor Cahill said, noting that Polis won his race by 19 points.

“Coloradans trust the governor to continue delivering for pocketbook issues, saving people money, and making Colorado one of the top ten safest states in the country. The governor is focused on delivering on those promises and will always do what’s right for Colorado, and Gov. Polis is supportive of people fleeing violence and oppression,” Cahill said.

Cahill added that the Polis administration has taken “bold steps” to “empower Colorado’s vibrant immigrant communities to help make our state stronger and more prosperous.”

Nearly 4,000 have arrived in Denver since early December, when 90 immigrants were dropped off at Union Station in downtown, according to data compiled by the City and County of Denver’s Joint Information Center.

As of the beginning of the new year, Denver had already spent more than $3 million to respond to the challenge.

The unfolding humanitarian crisis began spilling into Denver from America’s porous border with Mexico. It has now swelled into a full-blown emergency that cities such as New York City and Chicago have experienced for months.

On Saturday, the Democratic mayors of New York City and Chicago sent a letter to Polis urging his administration to halt the practice of busing immigrants to their cities.

The Polis administration declined to comment on the letter Sunday and instead referred the Denver Gazette to its statement Saturday. That statement said Colorado is “scaling back this transportation” because travel nationwide has returned to normal after sub-zero temperatures before the holiday had stranded immigrants in Denver, creating a backlog.

Polis also renewed his call for President Joe Biden to assist states, such as Colorado, which are facing the unprecedent challenge and to create work permits for immigrants, enact better border security and pass immigration reform.

Burton Brown said at the end of the day, Polis is doing the same thing that Republican governors Ron DeSantis and Gregg Abbot have done –  send immigrants to cities, notably New York, despite the letter pleading with other states not to do so.

Brown added that Denver operates like a “sanctuary city” and the word is out that it is a welcoming community. Hence, the city – and Colorado – will, indeed, be a destination for immigrants because of that perception, she said. 

But Burton Brown said that welcoming image runs against the reality of the situation in metro Denver, where housing and homelessness, crime and inflation are major issues.

“Denver is, in many ways, in a chaos on its own without this issue,” Burton Brown said. “So,  bringing more people who need housing and need help to a city very underprepared to deal with then, I don’t think, is what these migrants are expecting. And I think the city of Denver is very ill-equipped to help them.”  

Cahilll outright rejected the label “sanctuary state.”   

He said Polis has called on Congress to act now and secure the border, and pass comprehensive immigration laws. Polis urges President Joe Biden to push for the Deferred Action for Parents to allow the parents of U.S. Citizens to have temporary legal work permits.

These actions, Cahill said, would benefit millions of immigrants whose futures are uncertain because of America’s “chaotic immigration system.

“Colorado is not and has never been a sanctuary state and the governor is not focused on buzzwords but on ensuring our law enforcement resources go toward fighting actual crimes to help make Coloradans safer,” Cahill said.