Yong Prince wakes up early every morning to make breakfast for the hundreds of people staying in her packed Denver motel. But this motel is unique — the rooms are free and the guests are all migrants, mainly from Venezuela.
The motel is closed to the typical paying customer, but there are still no vacancies. Residents told CBS News there are sometimes eight people per room. Sometimes a dozen, and during the busiest times, more than 25 people per room.
Carlos, a 25-year-old migrant, lives in a room with more than a dozen other people, including his wife. He has worked occasionally as a roofer, but when he can’t find work he washes windshields for tips.
“I’d rather work hard outside,” he told CBS News in Spanish, noting that with his cleaning tools, “I can at least make money.”
As in Chicago and New York, the influx of migrants is straining Denver’s resources. The Mile High City expects to spend $180 million in 2024 on migrants, forcing city officials to make tough decisions on cuts in other areas.