Denver Shares 'Newcomer Playbook' to Help Other Cities

Mayor Mike Johnston and the City and County of Denver today released a new, in-depth playbook that outlines best practices and procedures for cities to welcome newcomers arriving from the U.S. southern border.

"In Denver, we believe that our challenges are solvable and we are the ones to solve them," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "Over the last year and a half, despite the federal government failing to support our cities, Denver has led by building sustainable systems that help newcomers get back on their feet and turning a crisis into opportunity. We're proud this playbook will help newcomers resettle in cities with more opportunities, help cities across the country successfully welcome newcomers and reinvigorate workforces."

After the U.S. Congress failed to pass historic, bipartisan legislation, which would have provided critical resources to cities like Denver, Mayor Johnston and his administration worked around the clock to build sustainable systems that provide the best outcomes for newcomers and cities.

The playbook, which is publicly available on the City and County of Denver website and has already been shared with stakeholders across the country, lays out ways in which cities can provide essential support to newcomers by integrating them into local communities and supporting their path to federal work authorization.

As the national leader on this topic, Denver has already developed successful models to support newcomers who have arrived in the U.S. with Temporary Protected Status, CBPOne Applications, and as Asylum Seekers. All three populations have different needs and timelines to self-sustainability, and this playbook gives other localities the tools they need to help these newcomers, regardless of how they entered the country.

Denver, which has received more newcomers per capita than any other U.S. city, has been on the forefront of this crisis, and with this new playbook, Denver will continue to lead the way in creating opportunities for cities, residents, and newcomers across the country.