US Border Patrol has Released Thousands of Migrants On San Diego’s Streets, taxing charities; Shelter Crisis: 13,000 Migrants Released on Streets of San Diego due to Overcrowding

US Border Patrol has released thousands of migrants on San Diego’s streets, taxing charities:

San Diego’s well-oiled system of migrant shelters is being tested like never before as U.S. Customs and Border Protection releases migrants to the streets of California’s second-largest city because shelters are full

Over five years, the largest U.S. city on the Mexican border developed a well-oiled system to shelter asylum-seekers.

That system is being tested like never before as U.S. Customs and Border Protection releases migrants to the streets of California’s second-largest city because shelters are full. Since Sept. 13, about 13,000 have been dropped at transit stations with notices to appear in immigration court at their final destinations in the U.S., with about 500 more arriving daily.

Migrant aid groups blame a mix of circumstances for the shelter crunch: reduced government funding; CBP’s practice of sending migrants from Texas and Arizona to be processed in San Diego; and a surge in illegal crossings. Last week, President Joe Biden’s administration advanced plans for a border wall in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley and said it would resume deportation flights to Venezuela.

Before they are released in San Diego, some migrants being dropped off have been waiting between a double-layer border wall or camping under Border Patrol watch in remote mountains east of the city. CBP closed a major pedestrian border crossing from Tijuana, Mexico, on Sept. 14 and assigned more officials to processing migrants.

“Many do not know where they are, that this is San Diego, this is (the) San Diego region, the nearest airport is San Diego and how to get to their final destination. That is what we’re trying to provide support with,” said Paulina Reyes-Perrariz, managing attorney for Immigrant Defenders Law Center’s cross-border initiative.

Illegal crossings topped a daily average of more than 8,000 last month after a lull following the start of new asylum restrictions in May had diminishing impact and people from dozens of countries, notably Venezuela, were drawn by prospects of jobs and safety.

Similar to other U.S. border cities, about 95% of migrants in San Diego quickly move to other parts of the country. That’s a sharp contrast to cities far from the border, such as New York and Chicago. But the constant churn of exhausted, disoriented migrants from more than 100 countries has created other strains that the San Diego County government calls “an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.” —>READ MORE HERE

Shelter Crisis: 13,000 Migrants Released on Streets of San Diego due to Overcrowding:

As the U.S. confronts an escalating migrant crisis, the city of San Diego has become an unexpected epicenter. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been releasing thousands of migrants on the streets due to full shelters. Since September 13, the city has seen approximately 13,000 migrants dropped off at transit stations with notices to appear in immigration court, with around 500 more arriving daily. This unprecedented situation has created a humanitarian predicament that is testing the city’s resources and resolve.

Overcrowding Shelters: A Multifactorial Issue

Several factors have contributed to the current shelter crisis in San Diego. Migrant aid groups cite reduced government funding, CBP’s practice of sending migrants from Texas and Arizona to be processed in San Diego, and a surge in illegal crossings as some of the key reasons. The city’s migrant shelters have struggled to accommodate the influx, leaving many migrants waiting in remote areas or under Border Patrol watch before being released in the city. As a response to the overwhelming numbers, CBP has closed a major pedestrian border crossing from Tijuana and assigned more officials to process migrants.

The Humanitarian Response

Migrant aid groups have been working tirelessly to provide support for the thousands of migrants arriving in San Diego. These organizations are seeking government support to offer basic services at the transit center parking lot, where migrants receive travel advice from volunteers. County supervisors have recently voted to allocate $3 million to provide services to migrants for the next three months. Despite the overwhelming numbers, shelters have prioritized accommodating families with young children, members of the LGBTQ+ community, the elderly, and the medically frail. However, the majority of drop-offs are single adults, leaving a significant population underserved. —>READ MORE HERE

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