SAN DIEGO — Hundreds of migrants flooded transit centers Friday, after the San Diego Welcome Migrant Center closed. However, migrant advocates said this recent closure is forcing them to provide resources to migrants with no support from the federal government.
Customs Border Patrol resumed migrant drop-offs at the Iris Avenue Transit station in Nestor in the South Bay, where CBP was expected to drop off 350 migrants on Friday.
A man who migrated from West Africa said it took him 10 days to get to the U.S.
"I’ve dreamed about this a lot and thank God I am here,” said Abd Boudah.
He is 23-years-old and says as a gay man he was not accepted in his home country, Mauritania, and feared for his safety. He’s seeking asylum and is trying to get to Chicago to live with his cousin and go to college to be a biomedical engineer.
Migrants from Ecuador, Africa, India and South America were forced to leave the San Diego Welcome Migrant Center after it closed because of funding issues. The county allocated $6 million to operate the center run by South Bay Community Services, but money ran out and it had to close.
Jewish Family Service is bussing many to the Old Town Transit Station where they can take a free shuttle to the airport or get on bus or train.
“No government support. Absolutely no government support,” said Pedro Rios, American Friends Service Committee. “The better circumstances would be if Border Patrol dropped people off at Old Town, then it would take away this additional step that provides some confusion. Because many people went that way and I couldn’t capture everyone and inform people to come this way and get on this bus, you might not know where you're at,” said Rios.
County Chairperson Nora Vargas says they have exhausted all local options. She says President Biden has not responded to her letter that requests support, including $1.5 million to fund the migration center each month.
CBS 8 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for a comment and has not heard back.
Migrants once in DHS custody are still required to appear in court.
The San Diego Rapid Response Network said its migrant shelter was accepting vulnerable migrants but it’s now at capacity and cannot accept migrants that were in DHS custody.
On Thursday, Democratic representatives, Congressmen Scott Peters, Mike Levin and Juan Vargas and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging him to expeditiously release FY2024 money for Shelter and Services Program.
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