The Democrats have always been tough guys when they’re running the show. Why? Because that’s how cowards operate. They rig the system, cheat openly, and then brag about their so-called “mandates.” But when their policies start crumbling under scrutiny.
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston took what he thought would be a bold stance against the Trump administration on illegal immigration. He essentially challenged Team Trump to a fight, “Come get me, Bro!” But look at illegal immigration by the numbers.
The National Picture: An Open Border Free-for-All
Illegal immigration isn’t just a line item on the evening news—it’s a crisis that impacts every corner of American society. At the national level, Biden’s open-border policies have resulted in unprecedented numbers of migrants flooding the U.S. In fiscal year 2023, more than 2.7 million migrants were encountered at the southern border. Add to that the untold number who slipped through, and it’s clear we’re dealing with numbers that rival the population of some states.
The costs? Immense. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), illegal immigration costs American taxpayers $182 billion annually—a 30% increase since Biden took office. These costs hit everything: education, healthcare, law enforcement, and welfare programs meant for citizens.
Colorado’s Burden: A State Straining Under the Weight
Colorado has felt the brunt of this influx. Sanctuary policies, like those proudly championed by Leftist officials in Denver, have turned the state into a magnet for migrants. The result? Overcrowded shelters, skyrocketing costs for social services, and increased pressure on local law enforcement. Denver alone spent over $20 million on migrant services in 2023—and that’s just the official tab.
Colorado voters aren’t thrilled. In 2016, Donald Trump carried much of the rural state precisely because voters were fed up with policies that prioritized illegal immigrants over citizens. Leftists may call these folks “deplorables,” but they’re the ones footing the bill for sanctuary policies they never agreed to.
Denver: Sanctuary City Shenanigans
Denver’s self-inflicted wounds on illegal immigration are a case study in Leftist lunacy. Formerly proud of its sanctuary status, the city is now buckling under the weight of its own policies. Mayor Mike Johnston, who once threatened to use Denver PD as a human shield against federal immigration enforcement, has been forced to confront the harsh reality of his choices.
Remember when Johnston compared his city’s commitment to protecting illegal immigrants to the iconic “Tank Man” moment during the Tiananmen Square protests? With zero irony, he boasted about deploying 50,000 angry soccer moms to protect migrants from deportation. “It’s like the Tiananmen Square moment with the rose and the gun, right?” he gushed.
This was the same guy who told federal immigration officials, “More than us having DPD stationed at the county line to keep them out, you’d have every one of those Highland moms who came out for the migrants.” His bravado didn’t last long. President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, responded with a mic drop:
CNN’s Kasie Hunt visibly stunned after playing a clip of Tom Homan saying he would gladly throw Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in jail for defying Trump’s deportation operation.
This is the best video you will watch all day.
Homan: Me and the Denver mayor agree on one thing. He’s… pic.twitter.com/ab4XMw5GrK
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 28, 2024
“He’s willing to go to jail. I’m willing to put him in jail.”
Now that reality has set in, Johnston is singing a different tune. He’s gone from “Come get me, Bro!” to “Don’t taze me, Bro!”
With Denver’s resources drained and voters increasingly restless, the mayor’s focus has shifted from grandstanding to damage control. Funny how that works.
Now that Tom Homan has threatened to throw Democrat Denver Mayor Mike Johnston in prison, he says he ”regrets” making tough guy comments about having his police force stand against federal forces to stop mass deportations
“I certainly did not mean to stoke fear on either side of… pic.twitter.com/tB2yfn8csM
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) November 29, 2024
REPORTER: It sounds like you’re walking back the comments from a couple days ago saying that you would be willing to send Denver police officers. Do you regret making those comments and now getting questions like this?
JOHNSTON: Yeah.
REPORTER: Me asking you about that, and I’m sure Denver police officers are now going home to their families and saying, “Hey, I hear the mayor is telling you that you might be deployed to face off against federal forces.” Do you regret making those comments?
JOHNSTON: Yeah. What I wanted people to understand was the scale of what could be coming if we take the president at his word, which is I don’t think anyone envisioned U.S. military troops being deployed to American streets to gather up women and children.
Talk about backtracking. But Johnston made the right decision.
Because the Trump administration is serious about enforcing the laws. And if it means locking up a few hard asses, then so be it.
Sanctuary cities like Denver operate in open defiance of federal immigration laws. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 expressly prohibits policies that block local officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Despite this, Leftist mayors nationwide have flaunted sanctuary policies, betting that the Biden administration’s Department of Justice would look the other way.
But under Trump, that bet didn’t pay off. His administration cracked down on sanctuary jurisdictions, threatening to withhold federal funding and enforce existing laws. This enforcement resonated with voters who saw sanctuary policies as a betrayal of their safety and sovereignty.
Why Voters Backed Trump—and Why They’ll Do It Again
Trump’s appeal in 2016 and beyond wasn’t just about “building the wall.” It was about rejecting Leftist policies that prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens. Sanctuary cities like Denver epitomize the broader Democratic Party’s indifference to working-class Americans. When voters in Colorado and across the country see their tax dollars funding migrant shelters while their own communities crumble, it’s no wonder they rally behind someone promising to put America first.
Sanctuary City Spectacle: Comedy, Tragedy, or Both?
The Democrats’ immigration debacle is a tragicomedy of errors. Sanctuary policies like those in Denver don’t just fail—they spectacularly implode, leaving taxpayers holding the bag. Johnston’s flip-flop from “Tiananmen Square defender” to reluctant realist underscores the absurdity of it all.
At the end of the day, Johnston and his ilk are a symptom of a larger problem: a political party more interested in virtue signaling than governance. Illegal immigration is not a crisis of compassion; it’s a crisis of competence. And as long as Leftists continue to prioritize their progressive agenda over the rule of law, cities like Denver will remain stuck cleaning up the mess.
Thankfully for Denverites, Coloradans, and all Americans, this nonsense is about to come to a necessary and hopefully final end.
