8 MAY 9-15, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | chicken or the carrots, but they will not eat it,” he says. “They won’t eat burritos or tacos either, nothing spicy. They’re like the Norwe- gians of South America: no spice, plain as day.” A couple of men at the encampment had chicken pox last month, so the city is now offering vaccinations to the migrants. A group from Denver Street Outreach shows up unexpectedly, too. Sarah Plastino, the director of Denver’s newcomer program, has come twice since the site was discovered to bring water and talk to people. Three Americans have stayed at the en- campment so far, Infante says. On April 30, Beau Barrett shows up to pitch his tent. He tells Infante that he learned about the encampment from the police. “I’ve been around town, and the cops keep moving me,” Barrett says. “They said this is where you set up at if you’re going to live in a tent.” Infante gives Barrett a rundown on the neighbors next to his new tent space (a single man and an older woman who keeps to her- self), where the kitchen and bathrooms are, and the rules and expectations. “The problem is we’re trying to fi nd another spot to move; we have to move. We’ve been on Union Pacifi c land, but they’ve been pretty cool,” Infante tells him. “So don’t put too much work into your place. Just get comfortable.” Infante promises to invite Barrett to the next encampment “if you’re a good person and help out.” Barrett nods, telling Infante, “I don’t have a problem helping out.” Although Infante is mostly Native Ameri- can and Spanish, he considers his background from all over the world, and says that’s what in- spires him to support migrants any way he can. “Everybody in this country has been an immigrant at some point, and they’ve had to suffer and overcome adversity to make it in this country,” he says. “We’ve all had to go through this, and I’m happy to be alive — and I can at least help, so why shouldn’t I?” Denver’s Migrant Plan More than 41,.00 migrants, mostly from Venezuela, have come through Denver since December 2022, according to city estimates. About half of them are believed to still be in the metro area. The city has spent more than $70 million trying to feed and house migrants or transport them to other cities in that span; it has also given more than 1,800 migrants a hand with submitting their asylum claims. On April 29, Denver City Council approved $45 million in budget cuts needed to carry out Johnston’s $90 million migrant plan for the rest of 2024, some coming from unused funds for fi nished renovation projects and others from the Denver police, sheriff and fi re departments. At one point in January, the city was facing a potential $180 million projected cost for migrant services, forcing it to temporarily cut services at Denver Parks & Recreation and the Motor Vehicle Division. On May 6, Denver City Council ap- proved the fi nal parts of the mayor’s mi- grant plan. That was the day the Central Park encampment was scheduled to be swept, too, but that action was postponed. Email the author at [email protected]. News continued from page 6 Call Elaine Lustig, PhD .......................................................... at 303-369-7770 Needing Your Emotional ....... Animal W/ You? For eligible people who need their emotional support animal to accompany them at/or away from home, I am available to provide the documentation and counseling. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2024 Wellshire Golf Course 3333 S Colorado Blvd., Denver, CO REGISTER TODAY cmhof.org — Inaugural — Golf Tournament
