The sanctuary city of Denver, Colorado, is spending millions in local taxpayer money to provide newly arrived border crossers and illegal aliens with free flights and bus tickets out of the state.
Records obtained by CBS News Colorado reveal that Denver officials have spent almost $4.5 million in taxpayer money thus far to send more than 12,000 border crossers and illegal aliens to other cities and states across the United States.
While most are being given free bus tickets to leave Denver, about 335 border crossers and illegal aliens have been awarded free flights — at a cost of $115,000 — in the last five months alone.
“We say, ‘Where do you want to go?’ and then we buy them a ticket, usually by bus, and get them on their way,” Jon Ewing with Denver Human Services told CBS News.
According to the records obtained by CBS News, most of the border crossers and illegal aliens being given bus tickets and flights out of Denver are being sent to other sanctuary cities like Chicago, Illinois, and New York City, New York.
Others are heading to cities like Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as back to Texas. Smaller cities such as Wilson, North Carolina, are also a destination for those being sent out of Denver.
In less than a year, Denver has spent close to $32 million on border crossers and illegal aliens — including $7.5 million on housing and nearly $5 million on food. By the end of the year, as Breitbart News reported, Denver officials expect migrant spending to hit $40 million.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.