Colorado has become the latest state to feel the crushing weight of unchecked illegal immigration. According to new numbers compiled by the Pew Research Center, the state saw its illegal alien population explode by 43,000 in just two years, rising from 160,000 in 2021 to more than 200,000 by 2023.

Much of this influx has landed directly in Denver. Local officials estimate that at least 43,000 illegal immigrants entered the city during this period, with nearly half — roughly 20,000 — choosing to remain permanently. That sudden surge has already cost Denver taxpayers an estimated $100 million, with no end in sight.

The burden is not just financial. Families across Colorado are feeling the ripple effects. More students are crowding into already strained classrooms, wages are depressed as low-cost labor floods the market, and communities face rising crime tied to unchecked migration. Residents are beginning to see firsthand how the Democrats’ open-border agenda creates chaos in local neighborhoods, not just along the Rio Grande.

Pew’s report underscores just how devastating the last administration’s policies were in fueling this crisis. By 2023, the nationwide illegal immigrant population swelled to 14 million — smashing past the previous high of 12.2 million set in 2007. That number was driven in large part by the Biden White House’s deliberate effort to weaken asylum laws and parole tens of thousands into the country under flimsy “temporary” protections.

The Pew researchers noted that six million illegal aliens entered the United States in 2023 alone, double the number from 2022. That year-over-year surge was not accidental — it came directly after the Biden administration dismantled key Trump-era safeguards. Instead of enforcing the law, they created incentives for migrants to flood the border under the guise of asylum, with many released into American communities regardless of eligibility.

By the end of 2023, Pew calculated that one in every four migrants coming into the United States was here illegally. The sheer scale of this trend is unlike anything in American history. Colorado, like New York and Illinois, has become a prime destination for migrants because of the “sanctuary” policies pushed by Democrat leaders, who openly advertise benefits and protections at the expense of their own citizens.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s renewed border crackdown is beginning to reverse some of the damage, but the data lags behind reality. Pew acknowledged that the full impact of Trump’s efforts will not be clear for another year or two, since it takes time for migration patterns to show up in large-scale surveys. Still, the early evidence suggests the flood is slowing as deportations rise and asylum loopholes are finally being closed.

Colorado’s crisis is not unique. Pew identified six states — California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida — where illegal alien populations range from half a million to well over two million each. For Colorado residents, however, the speed of the surge has been especially shocking. In just two years, their state absorbed a population of illegal aliens larger than many small American cities.

Democrats continue to look the other way. Instead of addressing the chaos they created, party leaders focus on offering more benefits and pushing sanctuary policies that invite even more illegal crossings. For hardworking Coloradans, that means higher taxes, weaker schools, more crime, and less control over the communities they built.

The crisis in Colorado is a case study in what happens when border security is abandoned: ordinary Americans pay the price while politicians pretend everything is under control. With Trump back in the White House taking steps to restore order, states like Colorado can only hope relief comes fast enough to stem the damage.