This is a message for all cities across the United States. Do not follow the Denver model to handle illegal immigrants. Do not listen to Denver Mayor Mike Johnston — no matter how much he insists — who cannot get a handle on a migrant and homeless crisis that makes Denver a cautionary tale.

Travel almost anywhere, say you’re from Denver and someone will say something about the homeless encampments. That’s one reason the population of metro Denver continues to decline, after decades of being a go-to city for young professionals and relocating companies.

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Incredibly, Johnston doesn’t get it or has talked himself into delusion. He is doubling down on failed policies and telling other cities to follow his lead.

In a message on X, Johnston said “Denver is actually writing the book on welcoming newcomers. We’ve changed, adapted and found models that work, and now we’ve even open-sourced those strategies for use in other cities across the country.”

Is he joking?

In less than two years, more than 41,000 immigrants have arrived in Denver after illegally crossing the southern border. The reason is simple. Denver long ago declared itself a sanctuary city and has done somersaults rolling out the red carpet.

The migrant crisis alone, not including a domestic homeless problem the mayor has exacerbated, will cost the city $90 million this year. For Denver residents, this means less money for capital improvements, technology projects, all varieties of services for people in need, less money for cops, and more.

It would be Denver’s problem alone, except that migrants don’t stay in the city. They move out to other cities and towns as Denver’s resources dwindle and they need food, clothing and shelter.

Mayor Johnston, you have no right to do this to surrounding suburbs and the rest of Colorado.

Coloradans are increasingly frustrated by the migrant crisis and should demand that Mayor Johnston stop doing more to attract people the rest of us have to pay for and contend with. Migrants are human beings. Clearly Denver cannot handle them all, so the most compassion approach is to tell them not to come.

Any question of the public’s weariness with this dilemma was erased when commenters blasted Johnston for his tweet. It garnered only 36 retweets and 89 likes, while pulling hundreds of negative comments.

“Throwing dollars at a problem, achieving limited results, then claiming victory. The ultimate politician,” replied user @WillLuden.

“Denver has the worst homeless problem I’ve seen in a major city,” replied user @JohnnyNomadic.

In a city of mounting crime and more than 9,000 people living on the streets or in shelters, inviting other cities to use Denver’s “open source” migrant approach is downright goofy. It’s the action of a man who lacked any serious administrative experience before landing the job running the country’s 19th-largest city. He looks like a man way in over his head.

Denver is suffering. Not just Denver’s migrants, but the city’s domestic homeless and longtime residents who are losing city services and assistance to pay for people the mayor calls “newcomers.” Inviting more people without money, homes or incomes is downright insane. It is far past time for the mayor to issue an executive order renouncing sanctuary policies and rhetoric. Stop the cruelty, now.

Colorado Springs Gazette Editorial Board