VOLUME 134 | ISSUE 45
WEEK OF JUNE 1, 2023
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Arapahoe County donates money to support migrants BY NINA JOSS NJOSS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Daughter died in 2020 from fentanyl poisoning
Denver is experiencing a new surge of migrants coming to Denver, with hundreds arriving each day. This new uptick aligns closely with the expiration of Title 42, which allowed U.S. officials to turn back migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in the name of protecting public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its expiration, more immigrants who are seeking asylum can enter the country. To help support those arriving in the metro area, the Arapahoe County Commission donated $10,000 to the Newcomers Fund, a fund philanthropy organization, Rose Community Foundation. County commissioners voted 4-0 to approve the donation, with Commissioner Jeff Baker absent during the recent meeting. “The city of Denver has really carried the burden of this issue, in excess of several million dollars,” said District 5 Commissioner Bill Holen. “I would propose that we authorize this disbursement of $10,000 directly to the fund to help in terms of the humanitarian needs of these immigrants, many of whom barely have the clothes on their back.” Rose Community Foundation started the Newcomers Fund in December 2022 to address the needs of migrants arriving in Denver. Since then, over 10,000 people have come to the area, seeking asylum and safety.
BY TAYLER SHAW TSHAW@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
When Patti Lujan sees butterflies, she thinks of her daughter, Lauren, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 18. A senior at Littleton High School at the time, Lauren died from fentanyl poisoning after taking a counterfeit Percocet she got through the social media app Snapchat. As Lujan continues to cope with the loss of her daughter, she has now joined a legal fight against Snapchat, which she believes is partly responsible for her daughter’s death. She is among nine families nationwide participating in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Social Media Victims Law Center against Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat. “I know she would want me to do this. She’d want me to get involved in this lawsuit and fight, and so I’m doing it,” Lujan said. SEE LAWSUIT, P6
Littleton High School student Lauren Lujan, 18, passed away in 2020 from fentanyl poisoning.
VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17 | SPORTS: 26
COURTESY OF PATTI LUJAN
SEE COUNTY, P5
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DAY OUT FOR DOGGIES
SniffSpot matches dog owners with open yards P14