Denver mayor Mike Johnston this week announced that the city's rec centers will reduce hours to save money in order to fund the city's immigrant response.
“Denver Recreation Center hours will be modified as the city works to balance demands resulting from the influx of newcomers from the southern border with impacts to city services,” Denver Parks and Recreation posted online. “To accommodate new schedules, spring program registration has been postponed and will open Tuesday, March 5 at noon.”
As a result of the changes, rec center hours will be cut across the city's system and none of the centers will be open seven days a week.
According to Denverite, Denver is currently housing thousands of new immigrants with no sign of those numbers slowing.
Johnston made clear that residents should not blame the immigrants themselves for the cuts but rather the federal government.
“I want it to be clear to Denverites who is not responsible for this crisis that we’re in: The folks who have walked 3,000 miles to get to this city,” Johnston told reporters last week, adding that the government's failure to pass a border deal was at the heart of the problem.
