Denver considers protections after 9 city workers lose jobs over expired work authorization

Denver officials are considering legal services, filing-fee assistance, leave and rehiring protections after nine city employees were terminated when their work authorization expired, according to an initiative presentation prepared for City Council members.

The presentation says the terminations occurred between Jan. 1 and Aug. 6. It does not identify the employees, their departments or job classifications, or explain the circumstances of their expired authorization. It also says the city was tracking resignations related to work authorization but does not provide a separate count.

Denver had 14,186 employees and nearly 100 workers who reported “An Alien Authorized to Work” on their federal I-9 forms, the presentation says. The category includes temporary visa holders and represented less than 1% of the workforce. The figures are marked as current “as of 8/10,” but the document does not specify the year.

The city estimates its average turnover cost at $40,000 per employee, including hiring expenses and lost productivity. A rough extrapolation would put the cost of nine separations at $360,000, but the presentation says costs vary by position and does not calculate the actual cost of these cases. It also reports a 22.8% first-year turnover rate in 2024 and an average 46.3-day time to fill many city positions.

A preliminary survey received 17 responses, eight of which said immigration-processing delays had affected their employment. The most requested supports included immigration legal services, long-term unpaid leave during U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services processing delays, filing-fee reimbursement, employer sponsorship where legally permitted, and paid administrative leave for immigration appointments. The survey remained open, and the presentation does not provide a response rate or sampling method.

Other proposals include a dedicated human-resources position, standardized expedited rehiring, a dedicated administrative-leave category, an immigration-resource directory and employment protections during processing delays. Denver does not currently sponsor visas or permanent residency, the presentation says. The city’s existing practices rely on agency discretion for paid or unpaid leave, administrative leave and decisions about vacant positions.

The presentation specifically calls for the city to “implement and fund” an immigration filing-fee assistance or annual equity-reimbursement program. It does not identify a funding source, dollar amount or appropriation vehicle. Officials have not determined which other proposals would require legislation and which could be addressed through Career Service Rule changes. The city has no standardized expedited-rehiring process beyond Career Service Rule 5 and Executive Order 135, which can allow noncompetitive rehiring into a previous classification and, in some cases, a background-check waiver within one year.

The Budget and Policy Committee agenda lists the initiative as a briefing, not a resolution, ordinance or funding request. Council members Flor Alvidrez and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez are scheduled to present it at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, in Room 391 of the City & County Building.

The full City Council agenda lists no initiative-specific vote, appropriation or other formal action for Aug. 24. The presentation says next steps include gathering council feedback, reviewing the Department of Safety’s expedited-rehiring process, developing a possible fast-rehiring pilot through Peak, consulting the Department of Finance and the Mayor’s Office, and determining the legislative or rule-change path.

As of Aug. 21, the available record showed no adopted policy, approved funding, draft rule language or deadline for recommendations, a Peak pilot or formal legislation.