Welcome parties cost money. Those who cannot maintain red carpets should not roll them out. That goes for politicians of Colorado and Denver.

Government leaders who welcome immigrants to “sanctuary” cities and states get what they ask for. They get refugees fleeing the torments of socialism for a level of freedom, benevolence and opportunities funded only by capitalism.

Denver has long identified as a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state, which probably explains why more than 200 immigrants – mostly from socialist Venezuela – arrive in Denver by day and night. The surge began last year and continues ticking upward.

This week’s influx offers a glimpse of what may lie ahead. Thursday marks the end of the federal government’s Title 42 – a pandemic policy that stopped asylum seekers at the border. Federal and state officials expect historic immigration numbers after losing this tool.

“If being a sanctuary city means that we value taking care of one another, and welcoming refugees and immigrants, then I welcome the title,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock in a 2017 YouTube video.

Hancock reiterated his embrace of the “sanctuary” label in a meeting with The Gazette’s editorial board Tuesday, for a forthcoming Q&A feature.

“We’ve always been ahead of the curve in terms of being open, in terms of being inclusive and welcoming to people who want to come to our city, work hard and observe the rules and laws of our city… that’s who we are,” Hancock told the board. “And I always say, if that’s what it means to be a sanctuary city then put us in that category.”

Colorado officials have long refused to cooperate with federal efforts to enforce immigration law. Though Gov. Jared Polis denies leading a “sanctuary state,” his policies led the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service to list Colorado among 11 “sanctuary” states.

The Center for Immigration Studies includes Colorado on its map of the best “sanctuary” locations. Polis and the legislature enacted laws in 2019 that amount to codified “sanctuary” invitations.

After snubbing federal immigration controls, Hancock and Polis on Monday wrote the Department of Homeland Security begging for federal money to help them host immigrants. Translation: you should help us with the mess we caused by acting better than you.

“We implore the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and relevant federal partner agencies to bolster direct support for non-border jurisdictions that are struggling to meet the immense human need resulting from continued migrant arrivals,” the governor and mayor wrote in their letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

They don’t realize how silly this looks. In his meeting with Gazette board members, Hancock said his embrace of the “sanctuary” label should not disqualify Denver from federal immigration support.

“At the end of the day, it (sanctuary status) doesn’t let the federal government off the hook to have to address this issue and to come up with a more sensible strategy around immigration and migration to the United States,” Hancock said.

Colorado’s belligerent opposition to sensible immigration control should, indeed, let federal officials off the hook. Colorado politicians cannot contravene federal law, then ask federal officials to pay for their naughtiness.

To their credit, Hancock and Polis care about desperate men, women and children escaping corrupt and socialist governance. Most of us do. Yet, by leading with sentiment they undermine the sad and difficult need to control immigration for the sake of migrants, U.S. citizens and others who live and work within the constraints of law and order. It is easy to talk about compassion and providence for busloads of unemployed newcomers. Following through takes money, effort and a shift in fiscal priorities Coloradans did not ask for.

Americans long ago charged the federal government with immigration control because public and private social services have limitations. We cannot save, protect and serve every person who wants to live in the world’s most diverse, liberating and prosperous environment.

By asking the federal government to pay for Colorado’s welcome mat, Hancock and Polis want all Americans to solve a problem they caused. At least 11 states aggressively help federal officials enforce immigration controls. They should not pay for Colorado’s royal red carpet.

Hancock and Polis welcomed the world’s tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free. They lifted their lamps beside the golden door. As such, they must pay for “taking care” of those they invited. They must rise to the task of genuinely “welcoming refugees and immigrants” and meeting “the immense human need resulting from continued migrant arrivals.”

They must own the outcomes of sanctuary sanctimony.

Denver Gazette Editorial Board