The LEC Commends DPS and Supt. Marrero for Assisting New Arrivals
Milo Marquez
The Latino Education Coalition of Denver (LEC) offers our commendations—belatedly so, but commendations nonetheless—to Denver Public Schools (DPS) in general and to Dr. Alex Marrero, Superintendent, for their honorable and principled assistance to the recent immigrants to Denver over the last several months. On behalf of the Latino Education Coalition of Denver, and of The Weekly Issue/El Semanario, we acknowledge and thank them for their tireless efforts to provide support and assistance for the immigrants, our new neighbors, and especially for the children, during this exceedingly challenging time they have endured during the last few months. Denver Public Schools, and Superintendent Marrero as the leader, have proven themselves to be exemplary educators, as they regarded these new arrival children with concern only and entirely for their wellbeing and their commencement in DPS of their academic journeys.
Denver Public Schools has welcomed the recent immigrant children in enrolling in numerous DPS schools, guided the new students on their paths toward equitable education, provided free breakfasts and lunches to all students (thanks in part to Colorado Legislative Bill 22-087 in 2022), and in some schools offered clothing and other essentials through donations to the Newcomer Centers, aka School Welcome Hubs, among other assistance. This includes non-perishable food items for the weekend and over the winter break donated by Food for Thought for all children.
The LEC wants to especially highlight the remarkable accomplishments by DPS teachers, along with so many other personnel, such as social workers and counselors, and all levels including the cooks and others in the kitchens serving these students. For example, in numerous schools, teachers have welcomed students in, hastily expanding the class size limits, normally kept at a stable size throughout the year. Many in the LEC are long-time educators, so we know the added challenges this brings. Teachers have also searched for additional teaching materials to better serve these students. Social Workers have taken on increased numbers of students to provide much needed social service resources to the students. Counselors have guided students to better adjust to their new environments, working with each student individually. Cooks and other kitchen personnel have rapidly increased the number of meals they serve, to provide the breakfasts and lunches mentioned above, requiring extra work and effort, which they are happy to engage in. Such increased efforts are replicated throughout the scope of DPS.
The LEC wants to especially highlight the remarkable accomplishments by DPS teachers, along with so many other personnel.
Many of the recent immigrant new arrivals into Denver in the last year came from central and south American countries with temperate climates. Venezuela, for example, in its “coldest month of the year… is January, with an average low of 66 F and high of 82 F,” weather that would be acceptable in Denver in July.
Especially since many of the recent arrivals came just before and at the initiation of winter weather in Denver, including the below-zero-degree days in January of this year, the donations of jackets and other warm clothing from DPS for the recent arrival children were essential. More broadly, many other residents in Denver—including numerous non-profit agencies, religious orders, organizations, and individuals, of all racial and ethnic backgrounds—have likewise been generous and have provided such vital clothing and other necessities for the adults. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and his staff have done a remarkable job providing housing and other such support, singular throughout Colorado.
The LEC emphasizes that these new arrival immigrants—whether from Venezuela (as the media is ubiquitous in noting), México, China, Colombia, Ukraine, and the numerous other countries which have pushed and even thrusted the immigrants away—are protected in their civil rights by the U.S. Constitution, especially but not limited to the 14th Amendment’s “equal protection” and “due process” clauses. We remind El Semanario/The Weekly Issue readers of the 14th Amendment’s Section 1.
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
We particularly highlight the last two clauses, noting the word “person”; “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” (emphasis ours). This means that any person who sets foot into the United States is thereby protected equally as are all others, and they will go through due process to ensure they are not only protected by U.S. laws but are bound by and subject to those laws; our system of government calls for responsibilities to our society in accordance with and adherence to our laws. For those who apply for asylum status, their cases will go through those due process considerations, and their cases will be adjudicated. In the meantime, the new arrivals must be and will be protected by the U.S. Constitution, equally.
The LEC highlights these points because there is so much misunderstanding and malicious commentary in Colorado—especially outside of Denver—about and grandstanding against the new arrival immigrants. A recent article was telling, from The Denver Post, entitled “Some Colorado communities scramble to help migrants, others ‘do not want to be Denver’ as crisis spreads” (Feb. 11, 2024, John Aguilar). The article underscores recent comments during a community meeting in Lakewood against the supposed “sanctuary city” moniker Denver has allegedly adopted. There is no legal definition of the term as supposedly applied, but the term “sanctuary” is replete in the Bible, should the citizens of Colorado wish to consider further usage of the term, including in the New Testaments “Letter to the Hebrews” (wording dependent on the translation, such as in KJ, NKJ, and NIV, among others). One Lakewood resident is quoted as saying, “We do not want to be Denver…. I live in Lakewood. When did we decide to give away our immigration laws?”
To reiterate, the U.S. Constitution’s14th Amendment protects all “persons,” and it has not been “given away.”
The Colorado Springs city government officials are seemingly united in tone, stance, and posture with Lakewood. A recent article from The Gazette, February 1, 2024, is entitled, “News of migrants’ arrival in Colorado Springs brings terse response from officials: ‘we will not be designated as a sanctuary county.’” The article noted that officials were “coming out strong against the harboring of migrants in El Paso County. Commissioners reported the arrival of what they heard was around 30 migrants from Denver in the last few days.” The article noted, in comparison, that “Denver saw upwards of 34,000 immigrants from countries like Venezuela and Columbia last year, arriving on 105 buses in December alone.” The term “sanctuary” for immigrants appears to be as stressful for Colorado Springs as for Lakewood. Colorado Springs citizens often pride themselves on their religious affiliations, but ignoring for example The Gospel According to Matthew 2:15, where Saint Joseph and Saint Mary flee into Egypt to escape King Herod’s wrath against the baby Jesus. “Sanctuary” comes in many forms.
A review of what has caused the “push” factor in the countries from which the recent immigrants have arrived is beyond the scope of this article; we will continue with such articles in the near future. Suffice it here to say that the numerous staff and teachers and other personnel in Denver Public Schools, and Dr. Alex Marrero himself, have engaged in intrepid, laudable efforts on behalf of the children of these communities. Lakewood, Colorado Springs, and the other communities in Colorado who have shunted aside the immigrants, including children, have in fact not been like Denver in its humanitarian outreach to these new arrivals—and least of all, those communities have not been like Denver Public Schools and Dr. Marrero.
As is well known from the media, DPS has unfortunately been forced to incur an extremely large budget deficit in its efforts to take in these children, perhaps approaching over $17,000,000, since many of these new students arrived after the “count day” in early October, in numbers perhaps well above 3,000 students. Nevertheless, DPS teachers and other staff, along with administrators, Supt. Marrero, and the DPS School Board, have welcomed these children and engaged in numerous efforts toward their education. For example, for students who know only Spanish, the central office has provided assistance to the schools to determine the language instructional needs for these children, and the school district is attempting to hire new instructors to accommodate those needs. We observe that the 3,000 or so new students are more than the total enrollment of many school districts in Colorado, so essentially the entire infrastructure for such smaller school districts has had to be developed quickly, essentially creating the equivalent of a district within a district.
Finally, the Latino Education Coalition urges the readership of The Weekly Issue/El Semanario to engage in this effort along with Denver Public Schools, our District. Immediately, DPS is in serious need of the funding from the State and from the Federal Government to meet the educational needs of these children, with the aforementioned $17,000,000 just the immediate necessity. In so many other ways, we must provide this and other sanctuary to these children.
Milo Marquez, Chair, Latino Education Coalition.
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