The Truman Center hosted an interactive simulation during the inaugural Cities Summit of the Americas in Denver in April 2023. The simulation sought to identify strategies for cities across the Americas to collaborate more effectively in responding to migration needs. The session brought together over 90 participants, including mayors, policymakers, community leaders, and experts, to explore innovative approaches to promoting collaboration and capacity building. 

The session, co-led by Truman’s Visiting Senior Fellow for Immigration, Camille Mackler, and Fascination Lab, presented participants with a hypothetical scenario concerning the allocation of federal funds. Participants were divided into groups of eight, with two people role-playing representatives from each of four city types: large urban city, mid-size interior city, small rural town, and border town. Their task was to determine how to allocate a budget in a way that met the priorities and considerations of each city type. Halfway through the exercise, participants faced a twist: breaking news of a large industrial accident outside of town which diverted many resources. 

The overall goal of the session was to encourage representatives from city governments, as well as advocates, academics, and others, to identify challenges and work together to advance humane and secure immigration policies. It aimed to identify innovative strategies to overcome these challenges. The lessons learned from the session and follow up conversations will be included in an upcoming Playbook produced by Truman. This Playbook will detail how cities and other subnational actors can collaborate to address the impact of migration flows within their localities.