DENVER — In a letter to the City and County of Denver this week, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) threatened to withhold $32 million in grant money over accusations that city officials misused it when sheltering newcomers.
The letter suggests Denver violated a law used to prosecute smugglers.
"I don't remember ever in my life working this hard," said Yoli Casas, Executive Director of Vive Wellness.
As soon as the first buses of immigrants arrived in Denver, Casas shifted her non-profits focus to care for the thousands of families.
The City's dashboard shows nearly 43,000 people have been served since 2022.
And Denver has been promised $32 million in grant money through FEMA's Sheltering and Services Program for housing those arrivals.
But now, that money could be in jeopardy.
"It just hurts my heart. I already cried over it," said Casas.
The FEMA letter said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has "significant concerns" that federal grants were used for "illegal activities".
Denver Attorney Lisi Owen said the Trump Administration is testing boundaries.
"The sort of heart of this letter is a tension that always exists between different levels of government in the United States," Owen explained.
The letter asks Denver to provide names and contact information for those who were served, along with a "detailed and descriptive list of specific services provided" within 30 days.
"I would be very interested to know what facts the federal government is relying on in order to even accuse Denver of this misconduct in the first place," said Owen.
A spokesperson for the City said they are reviewing the letter and said "Denver has committed no violation and will continue to comply with local, state, and federal laws.”
While Casas said Denver didn't have all the answers when buses started arriving, she believes the City did its best in a time of crisis and did what was right.
"You're flying the plane as you build it," said Casas.
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